gentry

gen·try
G2E1N1T1R1Y4
/ˈd͡ʒɛntɹi/

noun

Birth; condition; rank by birth.

“landed gentry”

Similar
the qualityaristocracy
OriginOld French genterie →
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

gentry1

noungentry (countable and uncountable, plural gentries)

plural gentries

  1. countableuncountableBirth; condition; rank by birth.
  2. countableuncountableCourtesy; civility; complaisance.
  3. countableuncountablePeople of education and good breeding.

    landed gentry

    4 more examples

    English gentry

    wealthy gentry

    The manor was owned by the local gentry.

    She wrote novels about the rural gentry.

  4. UKcountableuncountableIn a restricted sense, those people between the nobility and the yeomanry.

Gentry2

proper nounGentry (countable and uncountable, plural Gentrys or Gentries)

plural Gentrys · plural Gentries

  1. countableuncountableA surname.
  2. A place in the United States:
    1. countableuncountableA city in Benton County, Arkansas.
    2. countableuncountableA village in Gentry County, Missouri.
    3. countableuncountableAn unincorporated community in Potter County, Texas.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
the qualitythe Quality

nounthe most powerful members of a society

Similar
aristocracy
Broader
upper classupper crust
Also see
aristocracy

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Old Frenchgenterie“noble people collectively; nobility of character or manners”
  2. Englishgentry

From Old French genterie (“noble people collectively; nobility of character or manners”), from gent (“well-born”) + -erie.

More words from Old French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 仕紳 /仕绅, 士紳 /士绅
  • 仕紳 /仕绅 (shìshēn)people between nobility and yeomanry
  • 士紳 /士绅 (shìshēn)people between nobility and yeomanry
  • 縉紳 /缙绅 (jìnshēn)people between nobility and yeomanry
Czech panstvo, nižší šlechta
  • panstvopeople between nobility and yeomanry
  • nižší šlechtapeople between nobility and yeomanry
Finnish syntyperä, sivistyneisyys
  • syntyperärank by birth
  • sivistyneisyyscourtesy, civility
  • herrasväkipeople of education and good breeding
German Oberschicht, Bildungsbürgertum
  • Oberschichtrank by birth
  • Bildungsbürgertumpeople of education and good breeding
Hungarian dzsentri, dzsentri
  • dzsentrirank by birth
  • dzsentricourtesy, civility
  • dzsentripeople of education and good breeding
  • dzsentripeople between nobility and yeomanry
Italian borghesia
  • borghesiapeople between nobility and yeomanry
Polish gentry, gentry
  • gentryrank by birth
  • gentrycourtesy, civility
  • gentrypeople of education and good breeding
  • gentrypeople between nobility and yeomanry

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with gentry

entryelementarycomplimentarycomplementarysentryuncomplimentary
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

gentry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gentry

MLA

“gentry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gentry. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gentry,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gentry.

Source: gentry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.