gentrified

[jen-truh-fahyd]

adjective

Origin of gentrified

First recorded in 1975–80; gentrify + -ed²

[jen-truh-fahy]

verb (used with object), gen·tri·fied, gen·tri·fy·ing.

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.
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.

to undergo this type of change: Some neighborhoods gentrify more quickly than others.

First recorded in 1970–75; gentry + -fy

Related formsgen·tri·fi·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

The City in the 70s would be unrecognizable to denizens of the gentrified metropolis of today.
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I grew up on the Lower East Side—before it was gentrified—and I have a high school diploma.
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Among the professional bohemians of gentrified Tribeca, Karl Taro Greenfeld spins mesmerizing stories in Triburbia.
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Now the area, called Fondren, has gentrified and is filled with shops, restaurants, and progressive-minded residents.
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Word Origin and History for gentrified

"renovate inner-city housing to middle-class standards," by 1972, from gentry + -fy. Related: Gentrified, which was used from early 19c. of persons.