adjective
gentle
Of noble birth or refined social standing.
The family claims gentle birth but has little money left.
Etymology
The Latin adjective concerns lineage. The social sense developed through membership in a distinguished family, so gentle could describe noble birth rather than mild behavior.
More examples
- Her gentle ancestry matters more to the count than her wealth.
- The novel's heroine is a woman of gentle birth.
- Despite his modest home, he comes from gentle stock.
Forms
gentle
gentility noun — Refined manners or elevated social standing.
Similar words
- noble
- More directly identifies hereditary rank, often involving a title.
- aristocratic
- Specifically connects someone to the aristocracy, not merely refined society.