Urbanity
Urbanity ur·ban·i·ty /ˌərˈbanitē/ noun 1. suavity, courteousness, and refinement of manner. 2. urban life. refers to the characteristics, personality traits, and viewpoints associated with cities and urban areas. People who can be described as having urbanity are also referred to as
citified. The word is related to the Latin
urbanitas with connotations of refinement and elegance, the opposite of
rusticus, associated with the countryside. In Latin the word referred originally to the view of the world from ancient Rome. The name Urban has been taken as a papal name by nine popes and referred to the location of the Holy See at the Vatican in Rome and the pope's status as Bishop of Rome.
Urbane has a similar meaning;
Oxford English Dictionary notes that the relationship of
urbane to
urban is similar to the relationship
humane bears to
human. In language,
urbanity still connotes a smooth and literate style, free of barbarisms and other infelicities.