gentile

[ jen-tahyl ]

adjective

, (sometimes initial capital letter)

1. of or relating to any people not Jewish.
2. Christian, as distinguished from Jewish.
3. Mormon Church. not Mormon.
4. heathen or pagan.
5. (of a linguistic expression) expressing nationality or local origins.
6. of or relating to a tribe, clan, people, nation, etc.

noun

1. a person who is not Jewish, especially a Christian.
2. (among Mormons) a person who is not a Mormon.
3. a heathen or pagan.

Gentile

¹

/ dʒenˈtiːle /

noun

1. GentileGiovanni18751944MItalianPHILOSOPHY: philosopherPOLITICS: politicianPOLITICS: statesman Giovanni (dʒoˈvanni). 1875–1944, Italian Idealist philosopher and Fascist politician: minister of education (1922–24)

gentile

²

/ ˈdʒɛntaɪl /

adjective

1. denoting an adjective or proper noun used to designate a place or the inhabitants of a place, as Spanish and Spaniard
2. of or relating to a tribe or people

Gentile

³

/ ˈdʒɛntaɪl /

noun

1. a person who is not a Jew
2. a Christian, as contrasted with a Jew
3. a person who is not a member of one's own church: used esp by Mormons
4. a heathen or pagan

adjective

1. of or relating to a race or religion that is not Jewish
2. Christian, as contrasted with Jewish
3. not being a member of one's own church: used esp by Mormons
4. pagan or heathen

Gentile

1. Someone who is not a Jew (see also Jews ). “The nations” is the common expression in the Old Testament for non-Jews as a group, and a Gentile is a person belonging to “the nations.”

Notes

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament tell of numerous conflicts between Jews and Gentiles. Figuratively, a “gentile” is any nonbeliever.

Other Words From

• non·gentile adjective noun
• pro-Gentile adjective noun
• un·gentile adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gentile¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin gentīlis, from gent-, stem of gēns gens + -īlis -ile

Word History and Origins

Origin of gentile¹

C14: from Late Latin gentīlis, from Latin: one belonging to the same tribe or family; see gens

Example Sentences

Noah was initially written to be a lot more like Tikhman, leaving Levitan unsure whether the stakes between a Jew and gentile who fall in love were high enough for a TV audience.

From Los Angeles Times

That’s why I used to like gentile delis where I could get pork.

From Los Angeles Times

Now, because it occurs around the biggest holiday here for our gentile friends, we make a much bigger deal out of it.

From Salon

According to the Torah — for gentiles, the first five books of the so-called Hebrew Bible — Jews celebrate the holiday Yom Kippur to honor the anniversary of when God forgave them.

From Salon

“We reaffirm that Jew and gentile, we are one nation under God; that black and white, we are one nation indivisible; that Republican and Democrat, we are all Americans,” he said.

From Washington Times

Related Words

• agnostic