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

The high influx of expats in many destinations has strained local communities, pushing up costs while also contributing to overcrowding and gentrification. —Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025

Within the cozy confines of an opposites-attract romantic comedy is nestled a thorny portrait of gentrification and assimilation. —Jason Bailey, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025

Hundreds of new residents have moved in – amid gentrification, rising rents in nearby Halifax, and record low-vacancy rates across the Maritime Province – and the descendants of the original settlers own just 38% of the land. —Sara Miller Llana, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Feb. 2025

This is partially because having a high quality park or nature trail, in an urban area, often leads to gentrification and increased rents. —Madeline Fitzgerald, Quartz, 3 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

gentry + -ification

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above