gentlewoman
Americannoun
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archaic a woman regarded as being of good family or breeding; lady
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rare a woman who is cultured, courteous, and well-educated
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history a woman in personal attendance on a high-ranking lady
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of gentlewoman
Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; see origin at gentle, woman
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Portrait of a Court Lady,” acquired in 2013, shows the nearly life-size image of a refined gentlewoman seated on a garden terrace.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2025
"Because being a polite gentleman or gentlewoman is all about first impressions," she said.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2025
“I support repealing these tax credits,” he replied, offering only the noncommittal promise to “continue to work with the gentlewoman from Virginia, just like we will with all members.”
From Washington Post ● Apr. 28, 2023
One of his stories is about a Southern gentlewoman who keeps her dead fiance’s corpse in her bed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2023
She is almost always busy taking care of Mrs. Forrest, a very plump gentlewoman who hasn’t figured out yet that life in James Town will be a lot harder than life in England.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
The Lady was established in 1885 by Thomas Gibson Bowles, as a magazine for gentlewomen, a weekly guide to navigating the social minefield of well-to-do British life.
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2025
In 1987, when my book first appeared, the scholarly consensus was that “Dido and Aeneas” was written for Josias Priest’s boarding school for young gentlewomen.
From New York Times ● Dec. 15, 2017
His carefully concealed soft spot for distressed gentlewomen and exiled court figures like Catherine and her daughter, Mary Tudor, leads him to make small but largely unappreciated efforts on their behalf.
From Salon ● May 28, 2012
He rarely attempts to find evidence that would get a senator or CEO thrown in jail. gentlemen and gentlewomen do this daily.
From Slate ● Jun. 3, 2011
She was one of the few gentlewomen I have ever known, and has remained throughout my life the measure of what a human being can be.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
