Meanings
comparative more genteel · superlative most genteel
- 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 - Polite and well-mannered.
1 more example
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
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivemarked by refinement in taste and manners
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latingentīlis“of or belonging to the same people or nation”
- Frenchgentil“gentile”
- Englishgenteel
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.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian префинен, елегантен
- префинен (prefinen)excessively polite and well-mannered
- елегантен (eleganten)stylish, elegant
- изящен (izjašten)stylish, elegant
Czech uhlazený, nóbl
- uhlazenýexcessively polite and well-mannered
- nóblexcessively polite and well-mannered
- uhlazenýstylish, elegant
- nóblstylish, elegant
- noblesníaristocratic
- nóblaristocratic
Dutch galant, modieus
- galantexcessively polite and well-mannered
- modieusstylish, elegant
- aristocratischaristocratic
Esperanto ĝentila
- ĝentilaexcessively polite and well-mannered
Finnish herraskainen, hieno
- herraskainenexcessively polite and well-mannered
- hienostylish, elegant
- muodikasstylish, elegant
- hienostunutstylish, elegant
- aristokraattinenaristocratic
- yläluokkainenaristocratic
- jalosukuinenaristocratic
French à la mode
- à la modestylish, elegant
German übertrieben höflich, affektiert
- übertrieben höflichexcessively polite and well-mannered
- affektiertexcessively polite and well-mannered
- stilvollstylish, elegant
- schickstylish, elegant
- elegantstylish, elegant
- aristokratischaristocratic
- vornehmaristocratic
Hungarian finomkodó, előkelősködő
- finomkodóexcessively polite and well-mannered
- előkelősködőexcessively polite and well-mannered
- cifraexcessively polite and well-mannered
- disztingváltstylish, elegant
- kifinomultstylish, elegant
- finomstylish, elegant
- sikkesstylish, elegant
- elegánsstylish, elegant
- stílusosstylish, elegant
- úriaristocratic
- előkelőaristocratic
- elitaristocratic
Irish galánta
- galántastylish, elegant
Polish afektowany, stylowy
- afektowanyexcessively polite and well-mannered
- stylowystylish, elegant
- eleganckistylish, elegant
- dystyngowanystylish, elegant
- arystokratycznyaristocratic
- dobrze urodzonyaristocratic
Russian воспи́танный, мо́дный
- воспи́танный (vospítannyj)excessively polite and well-mannered
- мо́дный (módnyj)stylish, elegant
- изя́щный (izjáščnyj)stylish, elegant
- элега́нтный (elegántnyj)stylish, elegant
- аристократи́ческий (aristokratíčeskij)aristocratic
- аристократи́чный (aristokratíčnyj)aristocratic
- благоро́дный (blagoródnyj)aristocratic
Swedish förnäm
- förnämexcessively polite and well-mannered
Welsh crachfonheddig, hyfoes
- crachfonheddigexcessively polite and well-mannered
- hyfoesstylish, elegant
- boneddigaiddstylish, elegant
- chwaethusstylish, elegant
- boneddigaiddaristocratic
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
genteel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/genteel
“genteel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/genteel. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “genteel,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/genteel.
Source: genteel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.