Word of the Day gentrification Photograph By: Taylor Wilcox gen·tri·fi·ca·tion /ˌjentrəfəˈkāSH(ə)n/ Learn to pronounce noun noun: gentrification ; plural noun: gentrifications the process of renovating and improving a house or district so that it conforms to middle-class taste. "an area undergoing rapid gentrification" the process of making a person or activity more refined or polite. "soccer has undergone gentrification" Gentrification - Urban Dictionary When "urban renewal" of lower class neighborhoods with condos attracts yuppie tenants, driving up rents and driving out long time, lower income residents. It often begins with influxes of local artists looking for a cheap place to live, giving the neighborhood a bohemian flair. This hip reputation attracts yuppies who want to live in such an atmosphere, driving out the lower income artists and ...