gentry

References

gentry

social class

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

The term "gentry" refers to people of high social status, often considered part of the aristocracy. Historically, in English society, a gentleman was a man entitled to bear arms but not part of the nobility. This social class derived from good family, with the term originating from the Latin word gentilis.12

The gentry occupied a distinct social order, often distinguished by their right to bear arms. While the nobility held titles like dukes and counts, the gentry, possessing social standing, estates, and armorial bearings, were comparable to Continental nobles. They owned significant amounts of land, distinguishing them from lower social classes. The concept of a gentleman evolved over time, with later interpretations emphasizing good behavior and manners rather than solely social rank or wealth.23

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

history of Europe
Nobles and gentlemen
…the two terms nobleman and gentleman indicates the difficulty of definition. The terms were loosely used to mark the essential distinction between members of an upper class and the rest. In France, above knights and esquires without distinctive title, ranged barons, viscounts, counts, and marquises, until the summit was reached…
Read More
…the two terms nobleman and gentleman indicates the difficulty of definition. The terms were loosely used to mark the essential distinction between members of an upper class and the rest. In France, above knights and esquires without distinctive title, ranged barons, viscounts, counts, and marquises, until the summit was reached…
Read More

history of Europe
Turkey and eastern Europe
…Vistula and the Dnestr, the landowning class achieved a political independence that weakened the power of monarchy. The towns entered a period of decline, and the propertied class, though divided by rivalry between the magnates and the lesser gentry, everywhere reduced their peasantry to servitude. In Poland and Bohemia the…
Read More
…Vistula and the Dnestr, the landowning class achieved a political independence that weakened the power of monarchy. The towns entered a period of decline, and the propertied class, though divided by rivalry between the magnates and the lesser gentry, everywhere reduced their peasantry to servitude. In Poland and Bohemia the…
Read More

gentleman
…the 16th century the “gentry” were officially regarded as constituting a distinct order. At the same time, the badge of this distinction came to be thought of as the heralds’ recognition of the right to bear arms. This view was quite unhistorical, for many gentlemen of long descent had…
Read More
…the 16th century the “gentry” were officially regarded as constituting a distinct order. At the same time, the badge of this distinction came to be thought of as the heralds’ recognition of the right to bear arms. This view was quite unhistorical, for many gentlemen of long descent had…
Read More

Poland
Political developments
…magnate oligarchy and the dynamic gentry, with the rulers generally favouring the former. The option of relying on the burghers, as was done by western European rulers, was not available because the towns (Gdańsk and some Royal Prussian towns excepted) allowed themselves to be eliminated from political struggles. The reformers…
Read More
…magnate oligarchy and the dynamic gentry, with the rulers generally favouring the former. The option of relying on the burghers, as was done by western European rulers, was not available because the towns (Gdańsk and some Royal Prussian towns excepted) allowed themselves to be eliminated from political struggles. The reformers…
Read More