1
as in manners
speech or behavior that is a sign of good breeding
was full of the same gentility and grace that marked the rest of the family
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nobility
the highest class in a society
as members of the gentility, they felt an obligation to help the less fortunate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Ed’s monstrous behavior under the influence of cortisone shatters the veneer of middle-class gentility to reveal the fault lines repressed beneath it.
—
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025
Like Michaels, the band wanted to maintain its nonconformist cred, even though its members were verging on gentility.
—Jillian Sederholm, EW.com, 18 Feb. 2025
Immediately upon being plucked from the proverbial shadows of the backroom studio, Alessandro Michele astonished with his new Gucci, a house reawakened by an intriguing gentility rich with influences from antiquity to today’s urban culture.
—Bridget Foley, WWD, 27 Sep. 2024
The star is a tabletop display in the Marble Parlour (once the formal dining room) that was created for the exhibition and, unlike the other sculptures, presents a challenging narrative at odds with the venue’s gentility.
—Mitchell Owens, Architectural Digest, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gentility
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025
Like Michaels, the band wanted to maintain its nonconformist cred, even though its members were verging on gentility.
—Jillian Sederholm, EW.com, 18 Feb. 2025
Immediately upon being plucked from the proverbial shadows of the backroom studio, Alessandro Michele astonished with his new Gucci, a house reawakened by an intriguing gentility rich with influences from antiquity to today’s urban culture.
—Bridget Foley, WWD, 27 Sep. 2024
The star is a tabletop display in the Marble Parlour (once the formal dining room) that was created for the exhibition and, unlike the other sculptures, presents a challenging narrative at odds with the venue’s gentility.
—Mitchell Owens, Architectural Digest, 2 Aug. 2024
See All Example Sentences for gentility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gentility
Noun
-
This is not so much a question of good manners as good visibility.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Mar. 2025
-
Minding your manners will make the trip better for everyone.—
Zach Wichter,
USA TODAY,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Meanwhile, the Left Bank, or Rive Gauche, lies on the more discreet side with its hôtels particuliers, mansions, and grand townhouses built by French nobility when Louis XIV’s court traded Paris for Versailles.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
26 June 2025
-
Elegant women and dandies rapidly flocked to it, including royalty and nobility such as the Countess of Castiglione, Princess of Metternich, Prince of Wales and Duchess of Berry.—
Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
Designed to pay homage, the scent is inspired by Granado’s history and the mysterious, welcoming atmosphere of traditional apothecaries and reviving century-old legacy with intensity, elegance and freshness.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
27 June 2025
-
With films like 2024’s Challengers and internet trends that promise hashtag-Old Money, everyday people are picking up a racquet in the hopes of dialing into the elegance that tennis has come to signify over the years.—
Brett F. Braley-Palko,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
According to Back, this intellectual aristocracy persisted until the dilution of Bloomsbury by new members from outside the family lineage.—
Jenny Noyce,
JSTOR Daily,
14 May 2025
-
The landed aristocracy of Great Britain long ago discovered that to be a way to keep their inheritance intact.—
Miami Herasld Archives,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The convergence of reason and gallantry, of irony and affection, struck a teasing tone.—
Merve Emre,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
-
Written with filmmaker Matt Yoka, Possession marries the Band’s Americana with T. Rex’s fuzzy glam, anchored by Segall’s always-stellar guitar gallantry.—
Dan Reilly,
Vulture,
20 May 2025
Noun
-
This differed from Europe, where land ownership was immobilized by gentry classes who housed and employed farmers.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
15 June 2025
-
These bodies have historically overwhelmingly catered to a tiny sliver of the population — predominantly white, gentry liberals.—
Haisten Willis,
The Washington Examiner,
8 June 2025
Noun
-
Today, her analogues donate to PACs, endow chairs at law schools, and write op-eds about civility in politics.—
Aron Solomon
June 24,
Literary Hub,
24 June 2025
-
Those tensions, coupled with the Trump administration’s attacks on universities, have left some school communities wrestling with how to balance civility and safety with open expression and debate.—
John Branch,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
Noun
-
The style’s timeless aesthetic and high-quality feel come courtesy of that leather upper with careful stitching, plus a traditional lace-up style and a supportive outsole carved with the map of Manhattan (harking back to Coach’s Big Apple identity).—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
25 June 2025
-
See which breweries are near you, courtesy of CT Brewers’ Guild.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gentility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gentility. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share