1
as in polite
following the established traditions of refined society and good taste
those bygone days when young women were taught how to drink tea while wearing long gloves and other genteel ways of behaving
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2
as in civilized
having or showing a taste for the fine arts and gracious living
she grew up in genteel old Savannah
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3
as in aristocratic
of high birth, rank, or station
the genteel ladies never mixed with the servants prohibited by reason of her genteel birth from marrying the man she loved
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4
as in gracious
showing consideration, courtesy, and good manners
his genteel gesture of holding the door for the ladies
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of genteel
Yet today, the atmosphere on set is far from oppressively genteel.
—
Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2024
Helen is this fascinating contradiction — a genteel Tory wife who is also a ruthless assassin.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
The genteel and old-timey rooms start at $239 in late fall.
—Abbie Kozolchyk, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2024
There were still three and a half hours to go before kick-off, but the noise ricocheted off the genteel peach-and-cream facades of Leipzig’s townhouses.
—James Horncastle, The Athletic, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for genteel 
Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 31 Oct. 2024
Helen is this fascinating contradiction — a genteel Tory wife who is also a ruthless assassin.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
The genteel and old-timey rooms start at $239 in late fall.
—Abbie Kozolchyk, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2024
There were still three and a half hours to go before kick-off, but the noise ricocheted off the genteel peach-and-cream facades of Leipzig’s townhouses.
—James Horncastle, The Athletic, 2 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for genteel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genteel
Adjective
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According to a Newsweek article, simple gestures like being polite to airline staff can significantly improve a travel experience.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
15 Jan. 2025
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Ahead of Trump’s swearing-in at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, he and Melania Trump are expected to be greeted at the White House by Joe and Jill Biden, who will then bring them inside for some tea or coffee and perhaps some polite conversation.—
Martha Ross,
The Mercury News,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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What does ring true until the final frame of the show and into our present-day lives is that civilization and the civilized rarely occupy the same space.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2025
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Douyin Warnings From Within China China’s drive to assimilate the Tibetans echoes history elsewhere in the world where Indigenous people were seen by their foreign occupiers as savages who needed to be civilized with boarding schools, causing trauma and abuses.—
Chris Buckley,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Their attire and posture radiated an iconic, aristocratic style, exemplified by Vance's wife, who stood elegantly in her rose-pitch dress coat.—
Kristen Waggoner,
Newsweek,
21 Jan. 2025
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Despite the name, Palace hotels aren’t always centuries-old aristocratic mansions, and many feel thoroughly modern.—
Mary Winston Nicklin,
AFAR Media,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Dalin was gracious in the moment, but those close to him and the campaign acknowledge that the sting was real.—
George Allen,
Robb Report,
15 Jan. 2025
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The hotel feels grown-up and staff effusively handle all of your needs with a striking level of gracious humility.—
Lauren Mowery,
Forbes,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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There is no region where only A and C overlap that doesn’t also include another region, and likewise for B and D. A proper Venn diagram depicts every combination of intersections.—
Jack Murtagh,
Scientific American,
14 Jan. 2025
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Sponsor is not responsible for the availability or proper functioning of any hotel feature or amenity and no credit or compensation will be awarded by Sponsor with respect thereto.—
USA TODAY,
USA TODAY,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Nico Paz Nico Paz is the cultured attacking midfield player currently pulling the strings for Como 1907 in Italy.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes,
31 Dec. 2024
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Incorporation of photosynthetically active algal chloroplasts in cultured mammalian cells towards photosynthesis in animals.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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But as his latest shows, noble principles about the protection of wildlife and animals don’t automatically translate to a good screenplay or a watchable movie.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
17 Jan. 2025
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For spring 2025, Loro Piana switched its focus from cashmere to linen, crowned as the noble fiber of the season.—
Luisa Zargani,
WWD,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, new inductees of France’s National Order of Merit, an honorific for distinguished civil achievements, were also revealed.—
Lily Templeton,
WWD,
18 Jan. 2025
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Then on Thursday, Baldoni filed a $400 million federal lawsuit against Lively and Reynolds, as well as Lively’s publicist Leslie Sloane, accusing the trio of multiple offenses, including defamation, civil extortion, invasion of privacy and interference with contractual relations.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
18 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near genteel
Cite this Entry
“Genteel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genteel. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
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