Dictionary

genteel en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /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.

Meanings

1. Affectedly proper or refined; somewhat prudish refinement; excessively polite.
   • Genteel America was handicapped by meagerness of soul, thinness of temper, paucity of talent. 1976 September, Saul Bellow, Humboldt’s Gift, New York, N.Y.: Avon Books, →ISBN, page 407:
2. Polite and well-mannered.
   • Indeed I would advise every ſingle lady, if poſſible, to attend her inamorato, pretty frequently at the card table; and however genteel and agreeable his behaviour should be to herſelf, if he is haſty or pettiſh with any one else in company, she may depend on the ſame fate when once the knot is tied. 1795, Joseph Addison, “An Essay on Card-playing”, in Interesting Anecdotes, Memoirs, Allegories, Essays, and Poetical Fragments; Tending to Amuse the Fancy, and Inculcate Morality, page 67:
3. Stylish or elegant.
4. Aristocratic.

Forms

Deriveds

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

Relateds

gentleman

Translations (88)

pl stylowy (stylish, elegant) · cy boneddigaidd (aristocratic) · hu elit (aristocratic) · pl arystokratyczny (aristocratic) · eo ĝentila (excessively polite and well-mannered) · fi muodikas (stylish, elegant) · ka დახვეწილი (excessively polite and well-mannered) · de vornehm (aristocratic) · ka მოხდენილი (stylish, elegant) · oc graciós (stylish, elegant) · ka კეთილშობილი (aristocratic) · oc afièch (stylish, elegant) · pl elegancki (stylish, elegant) · hu arisztokratikus (aristocratic) · ru изя́щный (stylish, elegant) · nl galant (excessively polite and well-mannered) · fi yläluokkainen (aristocratic) · hu kifinomult (stylish, elegant) · hu cifra (excessively polite and well-mannered) · de affektiert (excessively polite and well-mannered) · cy chwaethus (stylish, elegant) · mk аристокра́тски (aristocratic) · pl afektowany (excessively polite and well-mannered) · ru аристократи́чный (aristocratic) · de übertrieben höflich (excessively polite and well-mannered) · bg елегантен (stylish, elegant) · ka დარბაისელი (stylish, elegant) · mk пре́финет (excessively polite and well-mannered) · ka ელეგანტური (stylish, elegant) · ru благоро́дный (aristocratic) · de stilvoll (stylish, elegant) · bg изящен (stylish, elegant) · pl dobrze urodzony (aristocratic) · oc gent (excessively polite and well-mannered) · fi herraskainen (excessively polite and well-mannered) · cy hyfoes (stylish, elegant) · oc gent (stylish, elegant) · de schick (stylish, elegant) · ka ნატიფი (stylish, elegant) · ga galánta (stylish, elegant) · ka აღზრდილი (excessively polite and well-mannered) · oc avenent (excessively polite and well-mannered) · bg префинен (excessively polite and well-mannered) · hu úri (aristocratic) · hu finom (stylish, elegant) · mk елега́нтен (stylish, elegant) · fi hienostunut (stylish, elegant) · cs noblesní (aristocratic) · pl dystyngowany (stylish, elegant) · hu elegáns (stylish, elegant) · ka არისტოკრატიული (aristocratic) · nl modieus (stylish, elegant) · hu stílusos (stylish, elegant) · ka დახვეწილი (stylish, elegant) · hu szalon- (aristocratic) · nl aristocratisch (aristocratic) · cs uhlazený (stylish, elegant) · oc nòble (aristocratic) · oc gent (aristocratic) · mk мо́ден (stylish, elegant) · sv förnäm (excessively polite and well-mannered) · cy boneddigaidd (stylish, elegant) · de elegant (stylish, elegant) · fi jalosukuinen (aristocratic) · hu sikkes (stylish, elegant) · cs uhlazený (excessively polite and well-mannered) · de aristokratisch (aristocratic) · cs nóbl (excessively polite and well-mannered) · ru воспи́танный (excessively polite and well-mannered) · ru мо́дный (stylish, elegant) · hu finomkodó (excessively polite and well-mannered) · hu disztingvált (stylish, elegant) · ka მოდური (stylish, elegant) · ka დარბაისელი (excessively polite and well-mannered) · fr à la mode (stylish, elegant) · fi hieno (stylish, elegant) · ka ზრდილობიანი (excessively polite and well-mannered) · fi aristokraattinen (aristocratic) · cs nóbl (aristocratic) · hu előkelősködő (excessively polite and well-mannered) · hu előkelő (aristocratic) · ka დარბაისელი (aristocratic) · mk благо́роден (aristocratic) · cs nóbl (stylish, elegant) · cy crachfonheddig (excessively polite and well-mannered) · ru аристократи́ческий (aristocratic) · mk во́спитан (excessively polite and well-mannered) · ru элега́нтный (stylish, elegant)