Gentility
/dʒɛnˈtɪl.ɪ.ti/noun
Refined or polite behavior and the quality of belonging to the gentry or aristocracy.
Did you know?The word comes through Old French from Latin *gentilis*, originally meaning “of the same clan or family,” so gentility began as a marker of ancestry before it became a code for manners.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵenh₁-
“to beget, give birth”
Latin
Latin
gēns
“a clan, race, or family”
Latin
Latin
gentīlis
“belonging to the same clan or tribe”
Old French
Old French
gentil
“noble, gracious, well-bred”
Middle English
English
gentilite
“nobility of birth; refined manners”
Modern English
English
gentility
“refined manners or genteel status”