gentrify

verb

gen·​tri·​fy ˈjen-trə-ˌfī How to pronounce gentrify (audio)
gentrified; gentrifying

transitive verb

: to attempt or accomplish the gentrification of
gentrified a run-down section of the city
gentrifier noun

Examples of gentrify in a Sentence

As the neighborhood became gentrified, the people who had lived there for many years could no longer afford it.
Recent Examples on the Web
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During a two-hour meeting Wednesday night at Chinatown’s Pui Tak Center, organized by the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community and Teen Coalition for Chinatown, concerns that The 78 would gentrify and displace residents of the historic Chinatown neighborhood were ever present. Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 2 Aug. 2025 But like many other historic Black neighborhoods, Overtown has faced changes: the construction of the I-95 highway right through the middle of the neighborhood and the ongoing development gentrifying the area. Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2025 As New Orleans continues to evolve—gentrifying and tussling with its layered racial history—Burke’s work offers a model for how individual creativity can serve broader justice without sacrificing artistic integrity. Sughnen Yongo, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025 Described as a darkly satirical tale of family and greed, with Shakespearean roots, the show follows a ruthless real estate tycoon bent on gentrifying the heart of America, whose quest begins to threaten his empire and embroil his family in the violent past of a lakeside town. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for gentrify

Word History

Etymology

gentry + -ify (or as back-formation from gentrification)

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of gentrify was in 1972

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Cite this Entry

“Gentrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentrify. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

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