Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An atmosphere of social harmony.
  • noun Law The principle by which a court in one jurisdiction defers to a court in another jurisdiction where either would have legal power to decide the case, or gives effect to the laws, executive acts, or legal decisions of another jurisdiction.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Mildness and suavity in intercourse; courtesy; civility.
  • noun In international law, that courtesy between states or nations by which the laws and institutions of the one are recognized, and in certain cases and under certain limitations given effect to, by the government of the other, within its territory.
  • noun Synonyms Amenity, suavity, politeness, consideration.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Mildness and suavity of manners; courtesy between equals; friendly civility.
  • noun (International Law) the courtesy by which nations recognize within their own territory, or in their courts, the peculiar institutions of another nation or the rights and privileges acquired by its citizens in their own land. By some authorities private international law rests on this comity, but the better opinion is that it is part of the common law of the land, and hence is obligatory as law.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Courtesy and considerate behaviour towards others; social harmony.
  • noun Friendly understanding and mutual recognition between two entities, especially nations.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a state or atmosphere of harmony or mutual civility and respect

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Latin cōmitās, from cōmis, friendly; see smei- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin comitas, from comis ("courteous")

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Examples

Comments

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  • smile with: be courteous

    January 27, 2007

  • There can be no doubt that it is little incidents like this which are gradually breaking down the inter-racial barriers, and making for a more perfect comity and understanding between the various nations of the world. -- ''Yashima, or, The Gorgeous West'' by R T Sherwood, 1931.

    December 24, 2008