Looking up...
please
/pliːz/
to request politely
Please close the door.
A polite request to close the door.
formal
to ask for something in a courteous way
Could you please pass the salt?
A courteous request for the salt.
Often placed at the beginning of a request for formality, or at the end for a softer tone.
Collocations
please doa polite urging to perform an actionplease helpa courteous request for assistanceplease notea polite way to draw attention to information
Synonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Politeness Position
Place 'please' at the beginning for formal contexts and at the end for casual conversations to sound natural.
Gold Rule
Avoid Overuse
Using 'please' too often can make a request sound insincere; use it when genuine politeness is needed.
Word Origin
From Old French 'plaisir' meaning 'to please', from Latin 'placere' meaning 'to please, to satisfy'.
Usage Notes
Use 'please' at the start of a sentence for formal requests (e.g., 'Please submit the report by Friday.') and at the end for informal, softer requests (e.g., 'Pass the butter, please.').
Word Breakdown
pleas(e)
derived from Latin 'placere' meaning 'to please'
rootEnglish Dictionary