incivility
C1-C2Formal, academic, journalistic.
Definition
Meaning
Rude or discourteous behaviour; a lack of politeness or good manners in speech or action.
Can refer to both individual acts of rudeness and a broader social climate characterised by disrespect, aggression, or a breakdown of civil norms. In politics/media, it often describes harsh, personal attacks replacing substantive debate.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Typically an uncountable noun (e.g., 'an atmosphere of incivility'). Can be countable ('daily incivilities') when referring to specific instances. More formal than 'rudeness' and often implies a violation of societal or professional norms rather than just personal impoliteness.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major lexical differences. Slightly more common in American political/journalistic discourse about public behaviour.
Connotations
In both varieties, strongly negative. In UK academic/social commentary, may connect to debates on 'broken Britain' or decline of manners. In US, frequently tied to political polarisation and workplace culture studies.
Frequency
Low-frequency in everyday speech in both regions. Higher frequency in formal writing, op-eds, and social science texts in the US.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
incivility towards [someone]incivility of [an action/remark]incivility in [a sphere, e.g., politics]incivility from [a source]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A slide into incivility”
- “The thin veneer of civility cracked, revealing the incivility beneath.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to disrespectful behaviour in the workplace that harms morale and productivity, e.g., 'HR addressed the incivility in the sales department.'
Academic
Used in political science, sociology, and communication studies to analyse declining norms in public discourse and social interactions.
Everyday
Rare in casual conversation. Might be used to comment on a severe breach of manners, e.g., 'The incivility of his reply was shocking.'
Technical
In organisational psychology, a specific construct measuring low-intensity deviant workplace behaviour with ambiguous intent to harm.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Uncivility is not a standard verb. Use 'to be uncivil' or 'to act with incivility'.
- The debate sadly uncivilled into personal attacks. (Non-standard, poetic/rare)
American English
- Uncivility is not a standard verb. Use 'to be uncivil' or 'to act with incivility'.
- The caller was inciviling the staff. (Non-standard, rare)
adverb
British English
- He spoke uncivilly to the chair.
- The proposal was uncivilly dismissed.
American English
- She was treated uncivilly by the official.
- The host uncivilly cut off the guest.
adjective
British English
- The remark was deeply uncivil.
- An uncivil atmosphere pervaded the meeting.
American English
- His response was blatantly uncivil.
- We must reject uncivil discourse.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher was upset by the student's incivility.
- Incivility is not acceptable in this office.
- The political debate was marked by a worrying level of incivility, with candidates insulting each other personally.
- Workplace incivility, like ignoring colleagues, can reduce team efficiency.
- The study correlated the rise of online incivility with increasing political polarisation.
- His letter, while legally precise, was a masterpiece of calculated incivility, designed to offend.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'IN' (not) + 'CIVILITY' (polite society behaviour) = behaviour that is NOT civil.
Conceptual Metaphor
INCIVILITY IS A SOCIAL POLLUTANT / INCIVILITY IS A BREACH IN A WALL (of civil society).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Not exactly 'невежливость' (which is closer to simple 'rudeness'). Incivility is more formal and systemic. Avoid direct calque 'инцивильность'. Consider 'грубость', 'неуважение', 'нарушение норм приличия' depending on context.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing with 'incivicism' (not a standard word). Using it as a direct synonym for 'anger' or 'violence' (it's specifically about disrespectful manners). Incorrect: 'He shouted in incivility.' Correct: 'He shouted, an act of incivility.'
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'incivility' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Incivility is generally considered lower in intensity and more ambiguous in intent than bullying or harassment, which are systematic, severe, and clearly harmful. Incivility might be a single rude remark, while harassment is a sustained pattern.
It's uncommon in strict legal charges (like 'assault' or 'defamation'), but it appears in contexts like employment tribunals, professional conduct hearings, or civic ordinances concerning public behaviour as a description of misconduct.
The direct adjective is 'uncivil'. 'Incivil' is archaic and not used in modern English.
Stress the third syllable: in-si-VIL-i-ty. Both UK and US pronunciations are very similar: /ˌɪnsɪˈvɪləti/.