different between complaisant vs uncivil

English

Etymology

From French complaisant (“willing to please”), from complaire, from Latin complac?re, present active infinitive of complace? (“please well”), from com- (“with”) + place? (“please”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /k?m?ple?s?nt/
• Homophone: complacent
• (US) IPA^(key): /k?m?ple?s?nt/, /k?m?ple?z?nt/

Adjective

complaisant (comparative more complaisant, superlative most complaisant)

1. Compliant.
2. Willing to do what pleases others; obliging.
3. (archaic) Polite; showing respect.

Usage notes

• Complaisant should not be confused with its homophone, complacent.

Derived terms

• complaisantly

Related terms

• complaisance

Translations

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /k??.pl?.z??/

Verb

complaisant

1. present participle of complaire

Adjective

complaisant (feminine singular complaisante, masculine plural complaisants, feminine plural complaisantes)

1. complaisant, obliging, eager to please

Derived terms

• mari complaisant

Further reading

• “complaisant” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

un- +? civil

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -?v?l

Adjective

uncivil (comparative more uncivil, superlative most uncivil)

1. Not civilized

   Synonyms: savage, barbarous, uncivilized

2. Not civil; discourteous; impolite

   uncivil behavior

   • 2007, The Times, 24 Dec 2007:

     John Terry and Frank Lampard would not have reacted as the Nigerian did to the (admittedly X-rated) challenge that led to the Liverpool forward being sent off in last week’s Carling Cup quarter-final against Chelsea. All very dangerous, all very uncivil.

   • 2008, New York Times, 4 Feb 2008:

     But since you probably weren’t there, and be thankful for that, here is a quick primer on local, uncivil civics so that you might appreciate the recent political clamor in this part of eastern Tennessee.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:impolite

See also

• incivil

References

• uncivil in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• uncivil in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.