# genteel

> English word · Adjective · IPA /d͡ʒɛnˈtiːl/ · frequency rank #44,807

## Definitions
1. Affectedly proper or refined; somewhat prudish refinement; excessively polite.
2. Polite and well-mannered.
3. Stylish or elegant.
4. Aristocratic.

## Etymology
Borrowed from French gentil (“gentile”), from Latin gentīlis (“of or belonging to the same people or nation”), from gēns (“clan; tribe; people, family”) + adjective suffix -īlis (“-ile”). Doublet of gentle, gentile, and jaunty. See also gens, gender, genus, and generation.

## Easily confused with
- **gentle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/genteel-vs-gentle)

## Common misspellings (9)
`egnteel`, `genetel`, `gennteel`, `genteell`, `gentele`, `gentteel`, `getneel`, `ggenteel`, `gneteel`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/genteel