gentility
Well-bred manner
Gentility is the quality of being genteel—refined manners, social respectability, and the appearance of good breeding.
The word often carries a whiff of pretension or faded elegance: shabby gentility, the gentility of old Southern families.
It can describe genuine refinement or the anxious performance of it by those aspiring to higher social standing.
Fostering growth through care
- sophisticationCultured elegance and complexity
- tasteFlavor perception ability
- discernmentKeen perception and judgment
- eleganceRefined, graceful quality
finesse · polish · culture · breeding · delicacy · grace · poise · dignity
Respectful, considerate behavior
- politenessCourteous, respectful conduct
- etiquetteRules of polite conduct
- decorumFitting social conduct
- proprietyCorrectness of conduct
graciousness · civility · tact · deference · respectability · comportment · gallantry · chivalry
Titled ruling class
- peerageSystem of noble ranks
- bluebloodPerson of noble birth
- highbornOf aristocratic birth
- patricianHighborn Roman elite
old money · upper crust · pedigree · lineage · birthright · heritage · ancestry · dynasty
Correctness of conduct
- decencyMoral appropriateness in behavior
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
- moralityRight and wrong principles
- uprightnessMoral correctness and honesty
honor · reputation · social standing · good name · modesty · integrity · correctness · seemliness
cultivation
Fostering growth through care
- sophisticationCultured elegance and complexity
- tasteFlavor perception ability
- discernmentKeen perception and judgment
elegance · finesse · polish · culture · breeding · delicacy · grace · poise · dignity · urbanity
courtesy
Respectful, considerate behavior
- politenessCourteous, respectful conduct
- etiquetteRules of polite conduct
- decorumFitting social conduct
propriety · graciousness · civility · tact · deference · respectability · comportment · gallantry · chivalry · courteousness
nobility
Titled ruling class
patrician · old money · upper crust · pedigree · lineage · birthright · heritage · ancestry · dynasty · hereditary
propriety
Correctness of conduct
- decencyMoral appropriateness in behavior
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
- moralityRight and wrong principles
uprightness · honor · reputation · social standing · good name · modesty · integrity · correctness · seemliness · social acceptance
- Victorianaseances, Dickens, spiritualism, Sherlock Holmes, phrenology
- demeanorbehavior, conduct, deportment, bearing, demeanor
- etiquettemanners, politeness, etiquette, table manners, courtesy
- refinementrefinement, elegance, sophistication, polish, taste
- SouthernSouthern belles, sweet tea, front porch, grits, y'all
- upper classaristocrat, nobles, baron, baroness, baronet
gentilityvulgarity
Offensive coarseness in manner
rudeness · coarseness · incivility · crudeness · discourtesy
gentilitycommonness
Frequency of occurrence
peasantry · proletariat · plebeians · rabble · commoners
gentilityvulgarity
Offensive coarseness in manner
crassness · gaucheness · tastelessness · philistinism · coarseness
gentle, generous, gently, gentleman, generation, generic, gentleness, genteel, gentler