Skip to main content

gentrificationthe process whereby the character of a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, improving housing, and attracting new businesses, typically displacing current inhabitants

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: the process whereby the character of a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, improving housing, and attracting new businesses, typically displacing current inhabitants

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌdʒentrɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

Example Sentences

  • The coffee shop that charged $8 for a latte was a clear sign that gentrification had reached our block.
  • Many artists who once made the neighborhood trendy were ironically displaced by the gentrification they helped create.
  • The mayor promised to address gentrification, but his solution was building more luxury condos.

gentrification

NOUN

[/ˌdʒentrɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/]

the process whereby the character of a poor urban area is changed by wealthier people moving in, improving housing, and attracting new businesses, typically displacing current inhabitants

A gentrification process displaces residents as wealthy investors transform neighborhoods
💡 Concept

A gentrification process displaces residents as wealthy investors transform neighborhoods

As renovation brings destination, old generations face migration—gentrification's station.
🎵 Rhyme

As renovation brings destination, old generations face migration—gentrification's station.

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˌdʒentrɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
🇬🇧 UK/ˌdʒentrɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

🌳Etymology

Rootgentry
Suffix--ification

Origin

From the noun 'gentry' (referring to people of good social position, particularly the landholding class below nobility), which derives from Old French 'gentrie' meaning nobility or high birth. The suffix '-fication' comes from Latin '-ficatio', meaning the process or act of making something.

Breakdown

gentry (people of high social standing) + -fi- (making/becoming) + -cation (process/action) = gentrification (the process of making an area more genteel or elevating its social status)

🎵Rhyme

certificationnotificationclassification
certification
notification
classification

🔗Collocations

urban gentrification
gentrification process
rapid gentrification
resist gentrification
gentrification effects
combat gentrification
neighborhood gentrification

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

The coffee shop that charged $8 for a latte was a clear sign that gentrification had reached our block.

Many artists who once made the neighborhood trendy were ironically displaced by the gentrification they helped create.

😄 Fun example

The mayor promised to address gentrification, but his solution was building more luxury condos.

Longtime residents formed a community group to preserve their neighborhood's character amid growing gentrification pressures.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

urban renewalneighborhood revitalizationresidential displacementarea redevelopment

Antonyms

urban decayneighborhood declinecommunity preservation

Related

displacementaffordable housingurban planningsocial inequalityproperty values

Want to master 19,000+ words?

Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.