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genteel

adj
/d͡ʒɛnˈtiːl/

Etymology

Borrowed from French gentil (“gentile”), from Latin gentīlis (“of or belonging to the same people or nation”), from gēns (“clan; tribe; people, family”) + adjective suffix -īlis (“-ile”). Doublet of gentle, gentile, and jaunty. See also gens, gender, genus, and generation.

  1. derived from gentilis
  2. borrowed from gentil

Definitions

  1. Affectedly proper or refined

    Affectedly proper or refined; somewhat prudish refinement; excessively polite.

    • Genteel America was handicapped by meagerness of soul, thinness of temper, paucity of talent.

  2. Polite and well-mannered.

  3. Stylish or elegant.

  4. ›+ 1 more definition

    1. Aristocratic.

The neighborhood

Derived

genteel business, genteelish, genteelism, genteelize, genteel lady, genteelly, genteelness, pseudogenteel, shabby-genteel, ultragenteel, ungenteel

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for genteel. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA