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Get Fancy With Genteel
The word genteel has some familiar English relatives, including gentle, gentrify, and gentility. All come from the Latin noun gens, used to refer to a group of related people. That word's plural, gentes, was used in Roman times to classify the people of the world, particularly non-Romans. Similarly, the English gentile refers to people who are not Jewish, or who don’t follow other specific religions. Many non-English words come from gens as well, including the Spanish gente, meaning “people.” To say gens has made its mark would be putting it gently.
Examples of genteel in a Sentence
JSTOR Daily, 18 Oct. 2025
Orlean remembers that genteel, no-contracts environment beginning to grow more formal under Tina Brown.
—Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2025
The cast of Southern Charm takes the spotlight with their genteel draw and spirited shenanigans center stage to give fans the perfect fix ahead of a buzz-worthy new season.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 30 Sep. 2025
Written in an historical moment when British society’s notions of class were changing, Austen depicts a world where rich bachelors are rare, and single women who are genteel but not wealthy are seeking their fortunes by finding and marrying one.
—Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Genteel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genteel. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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genteel
adjective
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