genteel
/d͡ʒɛnˈtiːl/ adjective
- adjective Affectedly proper or refined; somewhat prudish refinement; excessively polite.
- adjective Polite and well-mannered.
- adjective Stylish or elegant.
- adjective Aristocratic.
Synonyms
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.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Possessing or exhibiting the qualities popularly regarded as belonging to high birth and breeding; free from vulgarity, or lowness of taste or behavior; adapted to a refined or cultivated taste; polite; well-bred; as, genteel company, manners, address.
- adjective Graceful in mien or form; elegant in appearance, dress, or manner; as, the lady has a genteel person. Law.
Etymology [F. gentil noble, pretty, graceful. See Gentle.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “genteel”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details