gentile

1 of 2

noun

gen·​tile ˈjen-ˌtī(-ə)l 

plural gentiles

1

often Gentile : a person of a non-Jewish nation or of non-Jewish faith

especially : a Christian as distinguished from a Jew

2

: heathen entry 2 sense 1

3

often Gentile : one who is not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

gentile

2 of 2

adjective

1

often Gentile

a

: of or relating to the nations at large as distinguished from the Jews

also : of or relating to Christians as distinguished from the Jews

b

: of or relating to people who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

2

: pagan

3

[borrowed from Latin gentīlis] : relating to a tribe or clan

Synonyms of gentile

Noun

• pagan

Examples of gentile in a Sentence

Noun

a strict sect that believes that fellowship with gentiles should exist only for the purposes of conversion

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

When cooked, the flesh is moist, creamy, and has a denser bite than white potatoes, says Gentile. — Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 4 Feb. 2026

From there, the beef between the two couples runs the gamut from faux-gentile to downright nasty. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026

Adjective

Want to watch a Jewish guy and a gentile woman humorously navigate their relationship? — Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2025

This Curb Christmas involves Larry pissing off his wife Cheryl's gentile family, and recruiting actors from a living manger scene to recreate their display on his lawn. — Esther Zuckerman, TIME, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gentyl, gentile — more at gentle entry 2

Note: Historically the same word as gentle entry 2, with full vowel in the final syllable under influence of the Medieval and Late Latin source word.

Adjective

Middle English gentyl, gentile — more at gentle entry 1

Note: See note at gentile entry 1.

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for gentile

• argyle
• awhile
• beguile
• compile
• condyle
• defile
• erstwhile
• exile
• freestyle
• hairstyle
• lifestyle
• meanwhile

Kids Definition

gentile

noun

gen·​tile

ˈjen-ˌtīl

1

often capitalized : a person who is not Jewish

2

: a person who does not follow the God of the Bible

3

often capitalized : a person who is not a Mormon

gentile adjective often capitalized

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gentil, gentile "one who is not Jewish," derived from Latin gentilis "a member of the same family, clan, or nation," from gent-, gens "clan, family, race"; from the fact that the early Christians used the Latin word genes, plural of gens, as a translation of the Hebrew word gōyīm, literally, "the nations," used to refer to all non-Jewish people