Comities

/ˈkɒmɪtiz/ noun

Definition

Plural of comity; instances of courtesy, civility, and mutual respect, especially between nations or groups.

Etymology

From comity, derived from Latin comitas 'courtesy, friendliness,' related to comes 'companion.' The word evolved to mean the pleasant reciprocity nations extend to each other.

Kelly Says

International law actually has a principle called 'comity of nations'—it's the idea that countries should be nice to each other's laws and court decisions even when they're not required to be. It's basically 'we'll respect your customs if you respect ours,' and it keeps the world from devolving into total legal chaos.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.