Urbane
/ɜːrˈbeɪn/noun
Polite, refined, and socially smooth in manner.
Did you know?Urbane comes from Latin urbanus, meaning “of the city,” and in Roman thought the city was where manners, culture, and power were concentrated — the opposite of rustic life.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂erǵ-
“to fit together, be active; source of words connected with order and work”
Latin
Latin
urbs
“city”
Latin
Latin
urbanus
“of the city; refined, polished”
Middle French
Old French
urbain
“urban, courteous”
16th Century
English
urbane
“courteous, refined in manner”
Modern English
English
urbane
“polite, suave, and sophisticated”