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Definition of gentry
gentries
1a obsolete : the qualities appropriate to a person of gentle (see 1gentle 1a) birth; especially : courtesyb : the condition or rank of a gentleman
2a : upper or ruling class : aristocracyb : a class whose members are entitled to bear a coat of arms though not of noble rank; especially : wealthy landowners having such status
3 : people of a specified class or kind : folks no real heroes or heroines among the academic gentry — R. G. Hanvey
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Examples of gentry in a Sentence
poor tenant farmers working for landed gentry
the old-line yachting gentry frowns on vulgar displays of wealth
Recent Examples of gentry from the Web
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Milosz was born on June 30, 1911, in Szetejnie, Lithuania, on the impoverished estate of his mother’s family, who were minor Polish gentry.
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From the 15th to at least the 19th century, only the gentry could afford separate bedrooms, while peasants bedded down with entire families and even livestock.
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All along the route they were surrounded by peasants who stared in wonder at Liang and Lin, unable to conceive of Chinese gentry taking an interest in their rural world.
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Beautiful parks were the preserve of the gentry and Olmstead recognized that there was a class injustice with regard to access to beautiful spaces.
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GoPro may be going bust, while Jawbone, Nest and other members of the gentry of gadget pageantry look just about ready to stick a fork into.
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And the tone, a kind of perky gravity that sits well on the early-20th-century British gentry, is a more awkward fit in a story set in the midst of a war over slavery.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gentry'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
GENTRY Defined for Kids
gentry
playDefinition of gentry for Students
: people of high social status
Learn More about gentry
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See words that rhyme with gentry Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gentry Spanish Central: Translation of gentry Nglish: Translation of gentry for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of gentry for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gentry
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