gentrify
[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.
Origin of gentrify
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
gentrify
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper