Standard Lemma guide

gentility

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌd͡ʒɛnˈtɪl.ə.ti/
  • /ˌd͡ʒɛnˈtɪl.ɪ.ti/
  • US: [ˌd͡ʒɛnˈtɪl.ə.ɾi]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: JH EH0 N T IH1 L IH0 T IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state of being elegant, genteel, having good breeding, or being socially superior.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Examples

  • 1967-1969, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure He is the violence and fear of the boy of my stories, yet the gentility and sensitivity of poetry.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The upper classes, the gentry.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

elegance by virtue of fineness of manner and expression

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: breeding, genteelness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: elegance

History

Etymology

From Old French gentilité.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: елегантност (elegantnost) — The state of being elegant
  • Georgian: ელეგანტურობა (eleganṭuroba) — The state of being elegant
  • Georgian: კეთილშობილება (ḳetilšobileba) — The state of being elegant
  • Georgian: დიდგვაროვნობა (didgvarovnoba) — The state of being elegant
  • Georgian: გვარიშვილობა (gvarišviloba) — The state of being elegant
  • German: Vornehmheit — The state of being elegant
  • German: vornehme Herkunft — The state of being elegant
  • German: vornehme Lebensart — The state of being elegant
  • Irish: uaisleacht — The state of being elegant
  • Polish: dystynkcja — The state of being elegant
  • Portuguese: fidalguia — The state of being elegant
  • Portuguese: gentileza — The state of being elegant