genteel

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This wasn’t “an argument between genteel parties in Congress,” William Hogeland writes in his history, The Whiskey Rebellion, “but…a guerrilla war on the country’s ragged margin, our first war for the American soul.”

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

This is simply Sheridan’s pitch for escaping New York, but in a genteel manner.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026

Injury ended his gridiron dreams and led him onto the more genteel fields of baseball, where he became a peacekeeper rather than a mayhem maker.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 2026

Pilates, which combines stretching and body weight conditioning exercises, has, for some, a fusty image - a gentle and genteel workout for those of advancing years.

From BBC • Feb. 11, 2026

There’s too much ornate woodwork here, and the precious layerings of molding and mullion and balustrade and apse, all those thousands of genteel decisions, the studied cuts, just unsettle me.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee