the gentry

noun

old-fashioned
: people of high social status : the aristocracy

Examples of the gentry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Newsom, for all his highfalutin rhetoric about championing all Californians, just can’t quit the gentry and the insiders who have made his career. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024 The generals and the officer corps all belonged to the high aristocracy or the gentry and owed their status to the monarchy. Jonathan Steinberg, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2011 After running away, Heathcliff rises up through the ranks of the gentry and exacts revenge on the families — the Earnshaws and the Lintons — who kept him from his true love. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 July 2024 Icon status Back in 1837, a craftsman named Thierry Hermès opened a shop to sell saddles, harnesses, and equestrian wares to the gentry of France. thehustle.co, 10 May 2024 The open secret of workers’ relationship with the gentry, in Eliot, is that their labor makes its gentility possible. Emily Harnett, Harper's Magazine, 26 Apr. 2024 Leading that revolt is young revolutionist Luigi (Vincenzo Crea), while much older Silvestro (Luca Lionello) hopes to change things from within, by running for a public office usually held by the gentry. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 2 June 2023 Some of the gentry might prosper and over the decades expand their presence to additional households, while others might go penniless and turn over their properties to those still or newly rich. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 9 Aug. 2022 The city boomed, but voters forgot the bad old days, and the combination of public unions and the gentry left took charge of the political debate. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 18 June 2021

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

Dictionary Entries Near the gentry

Cite this Entry

“The gentry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20gentry. Accessed 25 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!