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Glite Dictionary
gentlefolk

gentlefolk

1 9.9
People from wealthy families with high social status
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɛntəlfoʊk/
  • Archaic
: gentilhombre
  • The Loves of the Plants is no libertine debauchery, but more a tale of pleasantly courting rustics and gentlefolk in Arcady.

Examples

  • They were enthusiastic gardeners, those eighteenth-century gentlefolk, and much more sophisticated than one might suppose.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • We've been found to be the greatest gentlefolk in the county... reaching back long before Oliver Crumble's time... back to the days of the pagan Turks.

    Tess (1979)

  • The earlier literature was generally of two sorts: translations and English imitations of continental Renaissance courtesy books, which described the proper behavior of gentlefolk; and Puritan sermon literature, which also often addressed the issue of proper behavior.

    Academic text (1996)

  • During the estate sale, many gentlefolk arrived in elegant attire to browse the antiques.

  • The gentlefolk of the village gathered for the annual ball, showcasing their refined manners and finery.

  • Although he was born into wealth, he treated everyone with kindness and respect, a true mark of a gentlefolk.

Antonyms

commoner
16 4.2

A person without a noble title who is an ordinary member of society

plebeian
1 7.7

A person from the ordinary people with no special title

Surface Forms

gentlefolk singular
gentlefolk plural

Morphology

gentlefolk = gentle + folk (semi-transparent) = gentle + folk

The parts 'gentle' + 'folk' are clearly identifiable, but the specific archaic/social meaning 'people of good family or breeding' is a specialized extension and not fully deducible by all learners.

Etymology

Gentlefolk combines gentle and folk: folk means 'people' and gentle used to mean 'of good family', so gentlefolk are people from good families or of higher social rank, a meaning you also see in the word gentleman.