gentility
noun
gen·til·i·ty
jen-ˈti-lə-tē 
plural gentilities
1
a
: the condition of belonging to the gentry
b
: gentlefolk, gentry
2
a(1)
: decorum of conduct : courtesy
(2)
: attitudes or activity marked by false delicacy, prudery, or affectation
b
: superior social status or prestige evidenced by manners, possessions, or mode of life
Examples of gentility in a Sentence
Education was considered a mark of gentility.
was full of the same gentility and grace that marked the rest of the family
Recent Examples on the Web
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
During his adolescence, the sensibility among the youth was to turn away from the gentility of the race man and toward the existential and the militant.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
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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
During his adolescence, the sensibility among the youth was to turn away from the gentility of the race man and toward the existential and the militant.
—Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for gentility
Cite this Entry
“Gentility.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentility. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gentility
noun
gen·til·i·ty
jen-ˈtil-ət-ē
plural gentilities
1
: good birth and family
2
: the qualities of a well-bred person
3
: good manners
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