gentry
UK[ˈdʒɛntri]US[ˈdʒɛntri]
n
People of good social position, specifically the class of people next below the nobility in position and birth.
Etymology
The word 'gentry' entered English in the 14th century from Old French, carrying the sense of 'nobility of character or birth'. Its ultimate Latin ancestor is 'gens', referring to a clan or family bound by shared descent. Over time, the meaning shifted from a focus on familial lineage to a specific social rank. In English history, it came to denote the class of landowners who, while not holding noble titles, possessed social standing, heraldic arms, and often served as justices of the peace, thus forming the crucial landed elite below the peerage.
Analysis
The word is a simplex. It is a loanword from Old French 'genterie', meaning 'nobility of birth or character'. The Old French term derives from 'gentil', meaning 'high-born, noble', which in turn comes from Latin 'gentilis', meaning 'of the same clan or family', from 'gens' (genitive 'gentis') meaning 'race, clan, family'.
Examples
The local gentry often gathered at the manor house for social events.
He was born into the landed gentry and inherited a large estate.
The novel provides a vivid portrait of the country gentry in the 18th century.