What is the Latin word for courtesy?

The usual Latin words for “courtesy” are officium, mūnus, beneficium; also grātus, salūtō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“courtesy” in Latin

officiumduty, service, office; obligation, an obligatory service, visit, or gesture; kindness, favor, courtesy mūnusa service, office, employment; a burden, duty, obligation; a service, favor beneficiumbenefit; favour, favor, kindness, service grātuspleasing, acceptable, agreeable, welcome; dear, beloved; grateful, thankful salūtōto preserve, keep safe; to greet, salute; to pay respects

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

courtesy

Courteousness; Vid:

A kindness, officium: munus: beneficium: To do or show anybody a courtesy, alicui officium praestare; beneficio aliquem afficere; gratum alicui facere; gratificari alicui: I shall esteem it a great courtesy if you will, etc., gratum or gratissimum mihi feceris, si, etc.; beneficium mihi feceris, si, etc. The common courtesys of life, officia urbana: to dismiss a man with all possible courtesy, dimittere aliquem cum bona gratia.

courtesy

= kurt-se), *genuum flexio. To make a courtesy, Georges gives genua flexa submittere (after Ov., Met., 4, 340; but it is there = “to fall down on her knees “) perhaps *flexis poplitibus salutare; or from context, salutare (aliquem) only.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for courtesy?: The usual Latin words for “courtesy” are officium, mūnus, beneficium; also grātus, salūtō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.