gentrification

noun

gen·​tri·​fi·​ca·​tion ˌjen-trə-fə-ˈkā-shən 

: a process in which a poor area (as of a city) experiences an influx of middle-class or wealthy people who renovate and rebuild homes and businesses and which often results in an increase in property values and the displacement of earlier, usually poorer residents

a neighborhood undergoing gentrification

"This week, we're talking about gentrification. Middle-class people move in. Property values and rents rise. Things change and improve but not for everyone. …"

—Lulu Garcia-Navarro

Opposition is also stoked by fear of gentrification—displacement of longtime residents through higher rents or property taxes.

—Steven Litt

The construction of luxury housing and gentrification of neighborhoods is pushing families out of communities they have called home for years.

—Heidi Romanish and David Snyder

In an effort to keep gentrification from creeping in the same way into the 30th Ward … Jessica Gutierrez wants to keep a lid on property taxes and inform residents about affordable housing.

—Alexandra Arriaga

Examples of gentrification in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Central Florida — a place where Arnett’s writerly claim is now as firm as Flannery O’Connor’s was to rural Georgia — is increasingly unlivable: expensive housing, low-paying jobs, unchecked gentrification. —Sam Worley, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025

And for all the hue and cry over gentrification, the fact is gentrifying neighborhoods bring in families with higher incomes to support the businesses that serve all residents. —Edward Poteat, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2025

Our panelists will also address the challenges the community faces, from gentrification to the erasure of its cultural landmarks, and why the recovery of this legacy is vital for both Altadena and Hollywood's futures. —Essence, 1 Mar. 2025

The influx of digital nomads, particularly in popular destinations, has raised concerns about affordability, overcrowding, and gentrification. —Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

gentry + -ification

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gentrification

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration