gentry

Gentry is a historical social class in Britain and elsewhere defined by landownership and social status characteristic of non-nobility. Historically, the gentry were landowners who governed local affairs and held influence in county and borough politics but did not hold noble titles such as duke or earl. The term derives from the Latin gens, via Old French gentil, and came to denote gentlemen of good family or birth, distinct from commoners.

In England and Scotland, the gentry included esquires, gentlemen, and country landowners—often called the landed gentry. They formed a rural elite, owning estates, serving as magistrates, MPs, or members of county councils, and acting as patrons to tenants and non-gentry communities. Their wealth came from land rents, agricultural improvements, and in later periods, commercial ventures. The gentry played a key role in local governance, social leadership, and culture. They were typically educated, maintained social codes of behavior, and were involved in the church and recruitment of soldiers.

The concept varied by region. In Ireland and Wales similar landowning classes existed, while in East Asia the term gentry is used by Western scholars to describe scholar-officials or literati who held civil offices and owned land.

By the 19th century, industrialization and political reform diminished the political power of traditional gentry in Britain, though many families remained locally influential. Today, the term is often used historiographically to describe a rural landowning elite whose status depended on property and lineage rather than noble title.