The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Politeness \Po*lite"ness\, n.
   1. High finish; smoothness; burnished elegance. [R.]
      --Evelyn.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. The quality or state of being polite; refinement of
      manners; urbanity; courteous behavior; complaisance;
      obliging attentions.
      [1913 Webster]

   Syn: Courtesy; good breeding; refinement; urbanity;
        courteousness; affability; complaisance; civility;
        gentility; courtliness.

   Usage: Politeness, Courtesy. Politeness denotes that ease
          and gracefulness of manners which first sprung up in
          cities, connected with a desire to please others by
          anticipating their wants and wishes, and studiously
          avoiding whatever might give them pain. Courtesy is,
          etymologically, the politeness of courts. It displays
          itself in the address and manners; it is shown more
          especially in receiving and entertaining others, and
          is a union of dignified complaisance and kindness.
          [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

politeness
    n 1: a courteous manner that respects accepted social usage
         [syn: politeness, niceness] [ant: impoliteness]
    2: the act of showing regard for others [syn: politeness,
       civility]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

49 Moby Thesaurus words for "politeness":
   affability, agreeableness, amenities, amenity, civilities,
   civility, comity, complaisance, considerateness, convention,
   courteousness, courtesy, courtliness, decencies, decorum,
   deference, diplomatic code, elegance, elegancies, etiquette,
   exquisite manners, formalities, good form, good manners,
   gracefulness, graciousness, manners, mores, natural politeness,
   point of etiquette, politesse, proprieties, protocol, punctilio,
   quiet good manners, respect, respectfulness, rules of conduct,
   social code, social conduct, social graces, social procedures,
   social usage, solicitousness, solicitude, tact, tactfulness,
   thoughtfulness, urbanity



The Devil's Dictionary (1881-1906):

POLITENESS, n.  The most acceptable hypocrisy.