gentrify

verb

gen·​tri·​fy ˈjen-trə-ˌfī How to pronounce gentrify (audio)
gentrified; gentrifying

transitive verb

: to attempt or accomplish the gentrification of
gentrified a run-down section of the city
gentrifier noun

Examples of gentrify in a Sentence

As the neighborhood became gentrified, the people who had lived there for many years could no longer afford it.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Internet tabloids made Ferrell into an avatar of the depravity of millennial excess in gentrifying Brooklyn. Amanda Hess, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024 According to a news release, the university will study the impact of displacement and relocation from gentrifying neighborhoods in the greater Nashville region. Austin Hornbostel, The Tennessean, 6 Dec. 2024 That's because owners from elsewhere are more likely to own properties in gentrifying areas and raise the rents, Hahn says. Megan Stringer, Axios, 10 Dec. 2024 Aldermen in gentrifying areas — including progressive mayoral allies such as Ald. Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 17 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gentrify 

Word History

Etymology

gentry + -ify (or as back-formation from gentrification)

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of gentrify was in 1972

Dictionary Entries Near gentrify

Cite this Entry

“Gentrify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentrify. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on gentrify

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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