1
as in manners
speech or behavior that is a sign of good breeding
was full of the same gentility and grace that marked the rest of the family
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nobility
the highest class in a society
as members of the gentility, they felt an obligation to help the less fortunate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gentility
Ferrara’s arrival in New York City and subsequent entry into the movie business is presented as something like a case of recidivism, a dive from suburban gentility into the cauldron of steaming garbage that was Fun City–era Manhattan.
—
Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
But this was close to the borderline of gentility.
—Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2025
Modesty, gentility, and protocol have no place in the apartment grope.
—Nicholas Pileggi, Curbed, 15 Aug. 2025
The walk to the hot springs takes about an hour, during which the gentility of the allées gives way to the ruins of bizarre Soviet buildings of immense proportions.
—Gary Shteyngart, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for gentility
Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
But this was close to the borderline of gentility.
—Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2025
Modesty, gentility, and protocol have no place in the apartment grope.
—Nicholas Pileggi, Curbed, 15 Aug. 2025
The walk to the hot springs takes about an hour, during which the gentility of the allées gives way to the ruins of bizarre Soviet buildings of immense proportions.
—Gary Shteyngart, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for gentility
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gentility
Noun
-
Beloved actor Ron Perlman fully leans into trying to make the contestants fail this task by forcing eye contact, asking them polite questions, rebuking their bad manners in ignoring him, and even doggedly getting into their personal space.—
Tasha Robinson,
Vulture,
16 June 2026
-
Flight attendants can often detect bad manners the second a passenger steps on board.—
Joey Skladany,
Travel + Leisure,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Intelligence is a little like the concept of nobility, said Alison Gopnik, a psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who has pioneered techniques for studying the cognitive abilities of babies and children.—
F.D. Flam,
Twin Cities,
22 Nov. 2025
-
The new 2022 law called for reforming the teaching of Franco in schools, expanding reparations for Franco’s victims, introducing fines for displaying monuments to the old regime, abolishing some 33 titles of nobility awarded by Franco, and banning the Francisco Franco Foundation.—
Omar G. Encarnación,
Time,
20 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Bespoke millwork adds instant architectural elegance, like in this luxurious bathroom by Harper Harris Design.—
Sophie Aliece Hollis,
Martha Stewart,
11 June 2026
-
Just off Bamberg’s lively, strollable core is Hotel Villa Geyersworth, a four‑star, 40‑key property blending modern comfort with quiet old‑town elegance and well‑kept gardens.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Few figures of the 20th century generated as much scrutiny—or controversy—from the press and the European aristocracy as Wallis Simpson.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
15 June 2026
-
Diana was born into the British aristocracy before marrying Prince Charles.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
During the reception, Princess Kate shared an emotional moment with Tony Gledhill, a former Metropolitan Police officer who received the George Cross for gallantry in 1966.—
Helen Murphy,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Grammer will play Lord Fairfax, the unofficial leader of the Virginia gentry who has a complicated relationship to young George Washington as both his crucial mentor and as the father of his romantic rival.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
29 Aug. 2025
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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
Noun
-
Independence turns evaluation from politeness into truth.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2026
-
But our politeness never mattered.—
Andrea Uptmor,
Time,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
The company is aiming squarely at a traveler who wants the convenience of commercial routes but the comfort and attentiveness that usually come with chartering a jet.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
4 Dec. 2025
-
This kind of attentiveness has practical benefits, too.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
2 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gentility.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gentility. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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