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.
/d͡ʒɛn.tɹɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:JH EH2 N T R IH0 F IH0 K EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The renewal and rebuilding that accompanies the influx of middle class or affluent people into deteriorating areas and often displaces earlier, usually poorer, residents; any example of such a process.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Qualifier: urban studies
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: embourgeoisement
2
noun
Meaning 2
A geographical area that is gradually becoming prosperous due to investment.
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
the restoration of run-down urban areas by the middle class (resulting in the displacement of low-income residents)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: restoration
History
Etymology
From gentry + -ification, after gentrify. Coined by German-born British sociologist Ruth Glass in 1964.
Across languages
Translations
33 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
gentrifisering
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Catalan:
gentrificació
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Chinese Mandarin:
紳士化 /绅士化
(shēnshìhuà)
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Chinese Mandarin:
貴族化 /贵族化
(guìzúhuà)
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Chinese Mandarin:
中產階級化 /中产阶级化
(zhōngchǎnjiējíhuà)
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Chinese Mandarin:
仕紳化 /仕绅化
(shìshēnhuà)
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Chinese Mandarin:
士紳化 /士绅化
(shìshēnhuà)
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Chinese Mandarin:
縉紳化 /缙绅化
(jìnshēnhuà)
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Danish:
gentrificering
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Dutch:
gentrificatie
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Finnish:
keskiluokkaistuminen
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
French:
embourgeoisement
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
French:
gentrification
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Galician:
xentrificación
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Galician:
gentrificaçom
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Georgian:
ჯენტრიფიკაცია
(ǯenṭripiḳacia)
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Georgian:
ურბანული ჯენტრიფიკაცია
(urbanuli ǯenṭripiḳacia)
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
German:
Gentrifizierung
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
German:
Gentrifikation
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Greek:
ανάπλαση, εξευγενισμός
(anáplasi, exevgenismós)
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Hungarian:
dzsentrifikáció
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Italian:
gentrificazione
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Malay:
gentrifikasi
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Norwegian Bokmål:
gentrifisering
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Norwegian Nynorsk:
gentrifisering
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Polish:
gentryfikacja
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Portuguese:
gentrificação
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Portuguese:
aburguesamento
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Russian:
джентрифика́ция
(džentrifikácija)
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Spanish:
gentrificación
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Spanish:
aburguesamiento
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Swahili:
mageuzi ya mijini
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
Swedish:
gentrifiering
— process of renewal accompanying an influx of relatively affluent people
