gentry

[ jen-tree ]
See synonyms for gentry on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. wellborn and well-bred people.

  2. (in England) the class below the nobility.

  1. an upper or ruling class; aristocracy.

  2. those who are not members of the nobility but are entitled to a coat of arms, especially those owning large tracts of land.

  3. (used with a plural verb) people, especially considered as a specific group, class, or kind: The polo crowd doesn't go there, but these hockey gentry do.

  4. the state or condition of being a gentleman.

Origin of gentry

1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English word from Old French word genterie.See gentile, gentle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for gentry

gentry

/ (ˈdʒɛntrɪ) /


noun
  1. persons of high birth or social standing; aristocracy

  2. British persons just below the nobility in social rank

  1. informal, often derogatory people, esp of a particular group or kind

Origin of gentry

1
C14: from Old French genterie, from gentil gentle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012