gentrification
noun
gen·tri·fi·ca·tion
ˌjen-trə-fə-ˈkā-shən 
: a process in which a poor area (as of a city) experiences an influx of middle-class or wealthy people who renovate and rebuild homes and businesses and which often results in an increase in property values and the displacement of earlier, usually poorer residents
a neighborhood undergoing gentrification
"This week, we're talking about gentrification. Middle-class people move in. Property values and rents rise. Things change and improve but not for everyone. …"—
Lulu Garcia-Navarro
Lulu Garcia-NavarroOpposition is also stoked by fear of gentrification—displacement of longtime residents through higher rents or property taxes.—Steven Litt
Steven LittThe construction of luxury housing and gentrification of neighborhoods is pushing families out of communities they have called home for years.—Heidi Romanish and David Snyder
Heidi Romanish and David SnyderIn an effort to keep gentrification from creeping in the same way into the 30th Ward … Jessica Gutierrez wants to keep a lid on property taxes and inform residents about affordable housing.—Alexandra Arriaga
Alexandra ArriagaExamples of gentrification in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The working-class neighborhoods that sustain the tribes have been thinned and scattered by Hurricane Katrina and gentrification.
—Bill Whitaker, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
Then gentrification gradually pushed most traces of Hispanic culture out of our neighborhood.
—Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
When a neighborhood experiences gentrification, crime patterns could fluctuate, Snider said.
—Stella Canino-Quinones, Baltimore Sun, 3 Apr. 2026
An influx of artists, collectors and art fans will surely have an impact on an area that is already wary of gentrification and the rising cost of living that accompanies it.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gentrification
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Bill Whitaker, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
Then gentrification gradually pushed most traces of Hispanic culture out of our neighborhood.
—Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2026
When a neighborhood experiences gentrification, crime patterns could fluctuate, Snider said.
—Stella Canino-Quinones, Baltimore Sun, 3 Apr. 2026
An influx of artists, collectors and art fans will surely have an impact on an area that is already wary of gentrification and the rising cost of living that accompanies it.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gentrification
Cite this Entry
“Gentrification.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentrification. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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