gentile

1 of 2

noun

gen·​tile ˈjen-ˌtī(-ə)l 

plural gentiles

1

often capitalized : a person of a non-Jewish nation or of non-Jewish faith

especially : a Christian as distinguished from a Jew

2

: heathen entry 2 sense 1

3

often capitalized : a non-Mormon

gentile

2 of 2

adjective

1

often capitalized

a

: of or relating to the nations at large as distinguished from the Jews

also : of or relating to Christians as distinguished from the Jews

b

: of or relating to non-Mormons

2

: pagan

3

[borrowed from Latin gentīlis] : relating to a tribe or clan

Synonyms

Noun

• heathen
• idolater
• idolator
• pagan

Examples of gentile in a Sentence

Noun

a strict sect that believes that fellowship with gentiles should exist only for the purposes of conversion

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The legislation, which was enacted by Israel’s parliament in 1950, was designed to strengthen the creation of a Jewish state by welcoming people whose mothers or grandmothers were Jews, as well as gentiles who had converted to Judaism. —Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Nov. 2024

There was constant fighting between the gentile and the Jewish children. —Linda Chase, Sun Sentinel, 31 Jan. 2024

Adjective

The script swiftly navigates what could be sensitive waters, finding good-natured humor in the inflection points of Jewish and gentile relations without ever being disparaging. —Erin Strecker, IndieWire, 23 Dec. 2024

Their show, which chronicles the love affair between a rabbi and his gentile girlfriend, scored three Globe nominations: best musical or comedy TV series, and best acting nods for Brody and Bell. —Marco Della Cava, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gentyl, gentile — more at gentle entry 2

Note: Historically the same word as gentle entry 2, with full vowel in the final syllable under influence of the Medieval and Late Latin source word.

Adjective

Middle English gentyl, gentile — more at gentle entry 1

Note: See note at gentile entry 1.

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

gentile

noun

gen·​tile

ˈjen-ˌtīl

1

often capitalized : a person who is not Jewish

2

: a person who does not follow the God of the Bible

3

often capitalized : a person who is not a Mormon

gentile adjective often capitalized

Etymology

Noun

Middle English gentil, gentile "one who is not Jewish," derived from Latin gentilis "a member of the same family, clan, or nation," from gent-, gens "clan, family, race"; from the fact that the early Christians used the Latin word genes, plural of gens, as a translation of the Hebrew word gōyīm, literally, "the nations," used to refer to all non-Jewish people