noun
-
respectability and polite good breeding
-
affected politeness
-
noble birth or ancestry
-
people of noble birth
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gentility
1300–50; Middle English < Old French gentilite < Latin gentīlitāt- (stem of gentīlitās ), equivalent to gentīl ( is ) ( see gentle) + -itāt- -ity
Explanation
Anyone can be nice. Many people have good manners. But gentility is that rare kind of graciousness that is handed down from one elegant generation to the next. In the early 13th century, gentility described someone's social status, coming from the Old French word gentil, meaning "high-born, noble, of good family." Over time the word's meaning broadened to include those coming from a family whose members had a refined manner and an elegant way of expressing themselves — no title of nobility required, just as today anyone can be a gentleman (or woman).
Vocabulary lists containing gentility
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "G"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Tuck Everlasting
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I had thought that Fairhope, which some call “Mayberry by the Bay,” was a place where real Southern gentility had survived.
From Slate • May 4, 2026
Baseball’s rules were standardized by middle-class Manhattan professionals who “squeezed all the wildness of the folk game into their polished diamond,” giving it a sheen of gentility.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
As Hemingway exclaimed in the voice of Jake Barnes, “It’s funny what a wonderful gentility you get in the bar of a big hotel.”
From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025
Described as a study of masculinity, the collection blended strength and gentility with a focus on refinement.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 22, 2023
But a butler might surpass his master in gentility and remain, nevertheless, the butler.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
