gentility

[jen-til-i-tee] / dʒɛnˈtɪl ɪ ti /

NOUN

sophistication, cultivation

Synonyms

STRONGEST

aristocracy civility decorum elegance politeness propriety respectability

STRONG

courtesy courtliness culture elite etiquette flower formality gentlefolk gentry nobility polish quality rank refinement society urbanity

WEAK

blue blood gentle birth good breeding good family good manners high birth mannerliness optimacy ruling class upper class upper crust

Antonyms

STRONGEST

bad manners impoliteness rudeness

WEAK

coarseness crudeness roughness rusticity

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I had thought that Fairhope, which some call “Mayberry by the Bay,” was a place where real Southern gentility had survived.

From Slate • May 4, 2026

As Hemingway exclaimed in the voice of Jake Barnes, “It’s funny what a wonderful gentility you get in the bar of a big hotel.”

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025

Du Maurier’s world is one of pinched gentility.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 2025

That sort of gentility is not unusual for this stage of the campaign.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2023

But a butler might surpass his master in gentility and remain, nevertheless, the butler.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Vocabulary lists containing gentility

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Tuck Everlasting

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