gentrification
nounUK /ˌdʒen.trɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
US /ˌdʒen.trə.fəˈkeɪ.ʃən/
When richer people move into a poorer neighborhood and change it, often making it too expensive for the people who already lived there.
The old corner shops were replaced by coffee bars after gentrification changed the neighborhood.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The process of making something more refined or polite in style.
The gentrification of the club's dress code surprised longtime members.
3. The improvement of a run-down area's buildings and services.
City planners praised the gentrification of the waterfront district.
4. A shift in a place's character toward wealthier tastes and residents.
Critics warned that gentrification would erase the area's cultural history.