gentile

1 of 2

noun

gen·​tile ˈjen-ˌtī(-ə)l 

plural gentiles

1

often capitalized : 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 capitalized : a non-Mormon

gentile

2 of 2

adjective

1

often capitalized

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 non-Mormons

2

: pagan

3

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

Synonyms

Noun

• heathen
• idolater
• idolator
• 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

Netanyahu loves lecturing gentiles in his perfect English, and much of the Israeli public loves these performances. —Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 8 June 2016

Bowman also made himself into a fierce critic of Israel, accusing the Jewish state of committing genocide, putting himself at odds with many of his constituents, Jews and gentiles alike. —New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 25 June 2024

Adjective

But even wealthy Jews were fearful of jeopardizing their fragile standing in gentile America. —Roger Lowenstein, WSJ, 13 Dec. 2023

Harry’s internalized all sorts of ideas about the cutthroat nature of business and has a naked desire to leave behind his Jewish Bronx origins and assimilate into gentile Manhattan, even picking up a showgirl lover along the way. —Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2023

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

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