I. -lē, -li adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English, from court (I) + -ly
1.
a. : marked by highbred polish, stateliness, and ceremony : characteristic of court usage or of courtiers
and the stately Spanish men … with their courtly foreign grace — Alfred Tennyson
b. : marked by elegance, richness, wit, or refinement befitting a court
luxury and all manner of conceits are part and parcel of such a courtly civilization — George Santayana
the courtly wit of the Cavalier — V.L.Parrington
2.
a. : belonging to a court : appropriate to or suggestive of a court
a courtly manor
: participating in or serving at court functions
the courtly guard
b. : favoring a court party or faction or its policies
the plans of the courtly adherents
3.
a. : strongly marked by formality and ceremony
courtly addresses
b. : utterly lacking in sincerity : flattering , unctuous , obsequious
courtly protestations
Synonyms: see civil
II. adverb
: in a courtly manner : politely