In 6 comite. [ad. L. cōmitātem courteousness, f. cōmis courteous, friendly: see -ITY, and cf. It. comita (Florio).]
1. Courtesy, civility, urbanity; kindly and considerate behavior towards others.
1543. Becon, Pol. of War, Ded. Our countrey … soweth also in the fielde of our brestes many precious sedes, as … honest behauor, affabilitie, comite.
1673. Rules of Civility, xix. (ed. 2), 163. Comity and Affability are the Ornaments of Converse.
1817. Parl. Deb., 1379. The comity of the right hon. gentleman’s manner … contrasted with the asperity of the letter alluded to.
1847. Emerson, Repr. Men, Montaigne, Wks. (Bohn), I. 350. It is the rule of mere comity and courtesy to agree where you can.
2. Comity of nations: a. The courteous and friendly understanding, by which each nation respects the laws and usages of every other, so far as may be without prejudice to its own rights and interests.
[1834. Story, Conflict of Laws, § 28. It has been thought … that the term comity is not sufficiently expressive of the obligation of nations to give effect to foreign laws when they are not prejudicial to their own rights and interests.]
1862. Merivale, Rom. Emp. (1865), VII. lix. 215. Due by the comity of nations.
1875. Poste, Gaius, I. Introd. 3. The salutary but sanctionless code called the Comity of nations.
b. Apparently misused for: The company of nations mutually practising international comity.
[In some instances, erroneous association with L. comes ‘companion’ is to be suspected.]
1862. R. H. Patterson, Ess. Hist. & Art, 315. A third part of the species will be brought into the comity of nations.
1864. Vambery, Trav. Centr. Asia, 6. To show … how much Iran had it at heart to obtain admittance into the comity of states.
1875. M. Pattison, Casaubon, 294. Neither North nor South Britain entered into the comity of nations.
1880. Daily Tel., 2 Nov. Turkey should … be saved … and rendered a useful member of the civilised comity.
