Added 10 October 2026
genteel
/d͡ʒɛnˈtiːl/ adjective
Latin root: gentīlis Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about genteel at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Marked by refinement in taste and manners.
cultivated speech
Origin
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)