Definition of gentilitynext
1
2

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gentility In modernizing and Americanizing the Charles Dickens novel, Alfonso Cuarón expunged many of Great Expectations’s subplots in favor of a 1998-friendly romantic drama that cemented Paltrow as an emblem of gentility. Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 25 Dec. 2025 Ferrara’s arrival in New York City and subsequent entry into the movie business is presented as something like a case of recidivism, a dive from suburban gentility into the cauldron of steaming garbage that was Fun City–era Manhattan. Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 But this was close to the borderline of gentility. Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2025 Modesty, gentility, and protocol have no place in the apartment grope. Nicholas Pileggi, Curbed, 15 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gentility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gentility
Noun
  • The Colorado attorney general oversees more than 700 attorneys and staff and manages legal manners spanning consumer protection, civil rights, criminal, water, constitutional and environmental law.
    Jesse Sarles, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • The causes and manners of death for all six victims will not be officially determined until toxicology testing and the investigation are complete, Rabbitt said.
    Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 26 June 2026
Noun
  • Gustaf Lagerbielke, a 26-year-old center back, comes from a line of nobility, particularly Counts, in his home country.
    Chris Branch, New York Times, 26 June 2026
  • This piece of jewelry, worn by Princess Elisabeth, was a wedding gift from the Belgian nobility to Mathilde on the occasion of her wedding in 1999.
    Marta Martínez Tato, Vanity Fair, 24 June 2026
Noun
  • What emerged was a wardrobe that balanced sensuality, ease and elegance.
    Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 29 June 2026
  • There’s a certain elegance and sophistication to rooftop bars and restaurants captured in the American imagination.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
Noun
  • At last, Jones also thought, there was a chance to spotlight the dynamic between North Wales‘ working-class community and its aristocracy on the big screen, a corner of Britain’s social history that has long been sidelined.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2026
  • Meanwhile, its extensive aristocracy dominated its society and economy.
    David Armitage, Washington Post, 26 June 2026
Noun
  • During the reception, Princess Kate shared an emotional moment with Tony Gledhill, a former Metropolitan Police officer who received the George Cross for gallantry in 1966.
    Helen Murphy, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
  • In 2020, Magawa received the PDSA Dickin medal for gallantry, which recognizes heroism in animals.
    Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Parker will play Mary Washington, George’s strong willed mother, while Rodgers will play Sally Cary, the charming beauty of the Virginia gentry who first sees his potential.
    Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Grammer will play Lord Fairfax, the unofficial leader of the Virginia gentry who has a complicated relationship to young George Washington as both his crucial mentor and as the father of his romantic rival.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The board member who survives every conversation about them has been preserved not by respect but by politeness.
    Audrey Russo, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
  • Good bathroom etiquette here is less about politeness than safety, since a crowded aisle is something the crew would rather avoid.
    Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026
Noun
  • That attentiveness showed up in small ways throughout our stay.
    Alisha Prakash, Travel + Leisure, 27 June 2026
  • In the past 15 years, and especially in the last five, our city has seen an influx of pizza restaurants and chefs who’ve brought a diversity of styles and an attentiveness to elevated ingredients and approaches.
    Peter St. Onge Updated June 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gentility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gentility. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on gentility

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster