Careful Words

genteel (adj.)

Genteel in personage,

Conduct, and equipage;

Noble by heritage,

Generous and free.

Henry Carey (1663-1743): The Contrivances. Act i. Sc. 2.

  The genteel thing is the genteel thing any time, if as be that a gentleman bees in a concatenation accordingly.

Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774): She Stoops to Conquer. Act i.