different between genteel vs gentile

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French gentil (“gentile”), from Latin gent?lis (“of or belonging to the same people or nation”), from g?ns (“clan; tribe; people, family”) + adjective suffix -?lis (“-ile”). Doublet of gentle and gentile. See also gens, gender, genus, and generation.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??n?ti?l/

Adjective

genteel (comparative more genteel, superlative most genteel)

1. Affectedly proper or refined; somewhat prudish refinement; excessively polite.
   • 1975, Saul Bellow, Humboldt's Gift [Avon ed., 1976, p. 407]:

     Genteel America was handicapped by meagerness of soul, thinness of temper, paucity of talent.

2. Polite and well-mannered.
3. Stylish or elegant.
4. Aristocratic

Derived terms

• genteelism
• genteelly

Related terms

• gentleman

Translations

Anagrams

• genelet

English

Alternative forms

• Gentile

Etymology

Borrowed from French gentil (“gentile”), from Latin gent?lis (“of or belonging to the same people or nation”), a semantic loan from Hebrew ????, morphologically from g?ns (“clan; tribe; people, family”) + adjective suffix -?lis (“-ile”). Doublet of gentle and genteel. See also gens, gender, genus, and generation.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d???nta?l/
• Rhymes: -a?l
• Hyphenation: gen?tile

Adjective

gentile (not comparable)

1. Non-Jewish.
2. Heathen, pagan.
3. Relating to a clan, tribe, or nation; clannish, tribal, national.
4. Of or pertaining to a gens or several gentes.
5. (grammar) Of a part of speech such as an adjective, noun or verb: relating to a particular city, nation or country.

Derived terms

• gentilic
• gentilical
• gentilically
• gentilicism

Related terms

• genteel

Translations

Noun

gentile (plural gentiles)

1. A non-Jewish person.
2. (grammar) A noun derived from a proper noun which denotes something belonging to or coming from a particular city, nation, or country.

Hypernyms

• (grammar): noun

Translations

See also

• (grammar): patronymic

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??en?ti.le/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin gent?lis.

Adjective

gentile (plural gentili)

1. kind, courteous
2. gentle
3. lovely

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

• gentile¹ in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Etymology 2

From Latin gent?lis (“heathen, pagan”).

Noun

gentile m (plural gentili)

1. gentile (a non-Jewish person)

Derived terms

• gentilesco
• gentilesimo

Related terms

• gentilità

Adjective

gentile (plural gentili)

1. (literary) gentile (non-Jewish)

Further reading

• gentile² in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /?en?ti?.le/, [??n??t?i????]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /d??en?ti.le/, [d???n??t?i?l?]

Adjective

gent?le

1. nominative/accusative/vocative neuter singular of gent?lis

References

• gentile in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)

Swedish

Adjective

gentile

1. absolute definite natural masculine form of gentil.