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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of gentility Ed’s monstrous behavior under the influence of cortisone shatters the veneer of middle-class gentility to reveal the fault lines repressed beneath it. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025 Like Michaels, the band wanted to maintain its nonconformist cred, even though its members were verging on gentility. Jillian Sederholm, EW.com, 18 Feb. 2025 Immediately upon being plucked from the proverbial shadows of the backroom studio, Alessandro Michele astonished with his new Gucci, a house reawakened by an intriguing gentility rich with influences from antiquity to today’s urban culture. Bridget Foley, WWD, 27 Sep. 2024 The star is a tabletop display in the Marble Parlour (once the formal dining room) that was created for the exhibition and, unlike the other sculptures, presents a challenging narrative at odds with the venue’s gentility. Mitchell Owens, Architectural Digest, 2 Aug. 2024 See All Example Sentences for gentility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gentility
Noun
  • This is not so much a question of good manners as good visibility.
    Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Leighton said being respectful of the flight crew, keeping your stuff in order, disposing of your trash responsibly, and just generally minding your manners make the flying experience more pleasant for everyone.
    Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Another constitutional clause that was removed from the Library of Congress' website included a line that bars Congress from offering Americans titles of nobility — a limitation that sought to safeguard the United States government from being influenced by European monarchies.
    Rachel Raposas, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025
  • Robert is a marquis, inheritor of an ancient title of nobility, who nonetheless has German Jewish ancestry, something that attracts the attention of other characters.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 July 2025
Noun
  • While the episode follows Deborah after walking away from her Late Night series, the backdrop and elegance of Singapore follows both characters as Deborah attempts to do standup in a Singapore casino using a translator.
    Leia Mendoza, Variety, 14 Aug. 2025
  • A touch of flaky sea salt brings effortless elegance and flair.
    Catherine Jessee, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • In his letters, Chekhov could sound like Ivan, lambasting the blinkered privilege of Russia’s aristocracy and the state of poverty in which most of the people were mired in.
    Philip Metres July 30, Literary Hub, 30 July 2025
  • Wealthy Americans, meanwhile, some flush with robber-baron fortunes, flocked to the house to acquire the sheen of aristocracy by association.
    Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • There’s a quixotic gallantry to appealing to a saner conservative and looking ahead to a post-Trump American politics.
    James Folta, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Queen Elizabeth later awarded Beaton the George's Cross, Britain’s highest civilian award for gallantry, for his role in saving her daughter’s life, and bestowed honors on Callender, as well as the other policemen and onlookers who intervened.
    Bailey Richards, People.com, 2 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Public Health and Race in Los Angeles, 1879-1939, Natalia Molina systematically breaks down how, more than a century ago, the Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican communities of Los Angeles were portrayed as health threats to the white gentry.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
  • This differed from Europe, where land ownership was immobilized by gentry classes who housed and employed farmers.
    Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 15 June 2025
Noun
  • Where other versions of the story bear names like Tombstone and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Ford’s emphasizes the character who symbolizes civility and the possibility of a better world to come, even if that world might have no place for men like Earp in it.
    Keith Phipps, Vulture, 18 July 2025
  • Morrison is focused on supporting working families, standing up against extremism, and fostering a culture of civility and respect in politics.
    Pioneer Press, Chicago Tribune, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • Alba’s look came courtesy of the eponymous designer’s spring 2026 ready-to-wear collection, which debuted as part of Paris Fashion Week in June.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 11 Aug. 2025
  • In exchange, the ThinkPad X1 2-in-1 Gen 10 offers quasi-tablet functionality courtesy of a screen that rotates 360 degrees.
    Charles Jefferies, PC Magazine, 10 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gentility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gentility. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

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