gentrification

noun

gen·​tri·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌjen-trə-fə-ˈkā-shən How to pronounce gentrification (audio)
: a process in which a poor area (as of a city) experiences an influx of middle-class or wealthy people who renovate and rebuild homes and businesses and which often results in an increase in property values and the displacement of earlier, usually poorer residents
a neighborhood undergoing gentrification
"This week, we're talking about gentrification. Middle-class people move in. Property values and rents rise. Things change and improve but not for everyone. …"Lulu Garcia-Navarro
Opposition is also stoked by fear of gentrification—displacement of longtime residents through higher rents or property taxes.Steven Litt
The construction of luxury housing and gentrification of neighborhoods is pushing families out of communities they have called home for years.Heidi Romanish and David Snyder
In an effort to keep gentrification from creeping in the same way into the 30th Ward … Jessica Gutierrez wants to keep a lid on property taxes and inform residents about affordable housing.Alexandra Arriaga

Examples of gentrification in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Arts groups are using new funding models to escape gentrification As property values skyrocket in the United States, artists are often pushed out of neighborhoods. Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Sep. 2024 Dean & DeLuca, which opened downtown in 1977, was an anchor of SoHo’s gentrification. Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2024 Calloway has seen gentrification change other neighborhoods in South L.A., leaving fewer worshipers in church pews. Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2024 Now, gentrification from the neighboring West Loop neighborhood is pricing residents out. Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 23 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for gentrification 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gentrification.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

gentry + -ification

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gentrification was in 1964

Dictionary Entries Near gentrification

Cite this Entry

“Gentrification.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentrification. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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