gentleman
Americannoun
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a man of good family, breeding, or social position.
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(used as a polite term) a man.
Do you know that gentleman over there?
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gentlemen, (used as a form of address).
Gentlemen, please come this way.
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a civilized, educated, sensitive, or well-mannered man.
He behaved like a true gentleman.
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a male personal servant, especially of a man of social position; valet.
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a male attendant upon a king, queen, or other royal person, who is himself of high birth or rank.
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a man of good social standing, as a noble or an armigerous commoner.
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a man with an independent income who does not work for a living.
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a male member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives.
The chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.
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History/Historical. a man who is above the rank of yeoman.
noun
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a man regarded as having qualities of refinement associated with a good family
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a man who is cultured, courteous, and well-educated
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a polite name for a man
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the personal servant of a gentleman (esp in the phrase gentleman's gentleman )
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history a man of gentle birth, who was entitled to bear arms, ranking above a yeoman in social position
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(formerly) a smuggler
Synonym Usage
See man.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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gentlemanlinessnoun
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undergentlemannoun
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gentlemanlikeadjective
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gentlemanlyadjective
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ungentlemanlikeadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of gentleman
Middle English word dating back to 1225–75; see origin at gentle, man
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.
Mr. Brumwell is the author of “George Washington: Gentleman Warrior.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
Mr. Towles is the author of the bestsellers “A Gentleman in Moscow,” “The Lincoln Highway” and “Table for Two.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025
Toward the end of the program, curious minds can gather in the museum’s garden for Drag Story Time with Bohenne Arreaux and Johnny Gentleman.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 6, 2025
"They scattered from the truck but Lewes lingered," says Ms Amonds-Windmill, who devotes a chapter to the incident in her book Gentleman Jim: The Wartime Story of a Founder of the SAS and Special Forces.
From BBC • Jan. 25, 2025
Halley later claimed that he had only been tactful to Hevelius’s face, not wanting to hasten, the death of ‘an old peevish Gentleman’.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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.
