The gentry were the social class in England (and later America) who owned land and lived comfortably without having to work with their hands, but weren't quite noble enough to be lords or dukes. Think of families who owned large estates or farms that other people worked, allowing them to focus on education, local government, and social activities.

In novels like Pride and Prejudice, characters like Mr. Darcy belong to the gentry: wealthy landowners who had servants, threw parties, and worried about marrying well. They weren't royalty, but they had money, status, and influence in their communities. A gentleman of the gentry might serve as a local judge or a member of Parliament, while his wife might manage the household and be involved in local charity work.

In medieval and early modern times, the gentry formed a bridge between common working people and the aristocracy. They often had family coats of arms, sent their sons to universities like Oxford or Cambridge, and expected to be addressed as “sir” or “madam.”

When Americans talk about the gentry today, they usually mean a similar class of well-off, educated families who have held wealth and social position for generations, though America never had the formal class system that England did.