From Latin gentilis, the adjective is literally "belonging to a gens, i.e., a nation, race, or clan." In normal usage it denotes any person who is not a Jew, though at one time it was also applied to anyone who was not a Christian (with undertones of heathenism or paganism). While it remains contextually correct and appropriate to use the term in a biblical context, the latter usage in normal conversation is now considered politically inappropriated and, therefore, obsolete.
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