The quality of being refined, well-mannered, and belonging to a family of good social standing or noble birth.
From Middle English and Old French gentilité, derived from Latin gentilis meaning 'of a family or clan.' The word originally referred to noble lineage but evolved to emphasize refined behavior and social grace rather than just birth status.
During the Victorian era, gentility became an obsession—people were judged by how they held their teacup and whether they could discuss literature. What's fascinating is that gentility could be 'performed' by the middle class, making it less about what you were born as and more about how you acted, which democratized the concept.
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