gentile

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a person who does not acknowledge your god
  2. noun a person who is not a member of one's own religion; used in this sense by Mormons and Hindus
  3. noun a Christian as contrasted with a Jew

Etymology

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

In classic literature

Synonyms

heathen, pagan, infidel

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