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genteelism

[jen-tee-liz-uh m]
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noun
  1. a word or phrase used in place of another, supposedly less genteel term: “Limb” is a genteelism for “leg.”
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Origin of genteelism

First recorded in 1925–30; genteel + -ism
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

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British Dictionary definitions for genteelism

genteelism

noun
  1. a word or phrase used in place of a less genteel one
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012