Gentleness is a soft and careful way of treating things. Handle with gentleness, the gentleness of her voice, treat him with gentleness.
It is strength held back rather than weakness, which is the distinction the word is for. Gentleness was once a matter of birth rather than manner, since gentle first meant well-born, and the modern sense grew out of the behaviour expected of that class.
1noungentlenessA soft and careful way of treating things.
“The nurse cleaned the wound with great gentleness.”
gentleness is a quality.
Gentle plus -ness. Gentle comes from Latin gentilis, of a good family, and first meant well-born.
Middle English
gentilnesse
English, today
gentleness
From Middle English gentilnesse; equivalent to gentle + -ness.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA