gentrify

[ jen-truh-fahy ]
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verb (used with object),gen·tri·fied, gen·tri·fy·ing.
  1. to alter (a deteriorated urban neighborhood) through the buying and renovation of houses and stores by upper- or middle-income families or individuals, raising property values but often displacing low-income families and small businesses.

  2. to conform to an upper- or middle-class lifestyle; make appealing to those with more affluent tastes: Fish and chips have been gentrified.

verb (used without object),gen·tri·fied, gen·tri·fy·ing.
  1. to undergo this type of change: Some neighborhoods gentrify more quickly than others.

Origin of gentrify

1
First recorded in 1970–75; gentry + -fy

Other words from gentrify

  • gen·tri·fi·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use gentrify in a sentence