gentrification
noun
gen·tri·fi·ca·tion
ˌjen-trə-fə-ˈkā-shən 
: 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
Lulu Garcia-NavarroOpposition is also stoked by fear of gentrification—displacement of longtime residents through higher rents or property taxes.—Steven Litt
Steven LittThe 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
Heidi Romanish and David SnyderIn 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
Alexandra ArriagaExamples of gentrification in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
People mourned it, along with the condos rising on the East River, as a sign of gentrification — which almost feels quaint given what’s happened to the block in the decades since.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 18 Dec. 2025
Wilder is originally from Chicago, and remembers seeing gentrification take hold of her neighborhood near Chinatown.
—Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 16 Dec. 2025
The area now has experienced gentrification, and some Black residents have left due to rising costs.
—Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 16 Dec. 2025
And no one here wants the kind of gentrification that’s made Brooklyn, Boston and other cities unaffordable.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gentrification
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.
Clio Chang, Curbed, 18 Dec. 2025
Wilder is originally from Chicago, and remembers seeing gentrification take hold of her neighborhood near Chinatown.
—Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 16 Dec. 2025
The area now has experienced gentrification, and some Black residents have left due to rising costs.
—Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 16 Dec. 2025
And no one here wants the kind of gentrification that’s made Brooklyn, Boston and other cities unaffordable.
—Andrea Riquier, USA Today, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gentrification
Cite this Entry
“Gentrification.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentrification. Accessed 24 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share