gentlewoman

American  

[jen-tl-woom-uhn] / ˈdʒɛn tlˌwʊm ən /

noun

plural

gentlewomen

1. a woman of good family, breeding, or social position

2. a civilized, educated, sensitive, or well-mannered woman; lady.

3. a woman who attends upon a lady of rank.

4. a female member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives.

   The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Maine.

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gentlewoman British  

/ ˈdʒɛntəlˌwʊmən /

noun

1. archaic a woman regarded as being of good family or breeding; lady

2. rare a woman who is cultured, courteous, and well-educated

3. history a woman in personal attendance on a high-ranking lady

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Other Word Forms

• gentlewomanliness
  noun
• gentlewomanly
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of gentlewoman

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; see origin at gentle, woman

Example Sentences

Gert Jonkers, the 53-year-old editor in chief of Fantastic Man and a publisher of The Gentlewoman, spoke of the double standard women face when they repeat outfits.

From New York Times • Jan. 8, 2020

The Gentlewoman came to be aligned with a particular kind of woman-friendly fashion, epitomised by what Phoebe Philo was doing at Céline.

From The Guardian • Feb. 14, 2019

Goss is returning to her classical world with European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman, with her heroines traveling to the Austro-Hungarian Empire to rescue another young woman: Professor Van Helsing’s daughter, Lucinda.

From The Verge • Jan. 5, 2018

Underground magazines like Manzine, The Gentlewoman and Sup Magazine spoof mainstream genres like men’s, women’s, and hipster-lifestyle magazines.

From New York Times • May 31, 2012

Enter Gentleman, with a Gentlewoman, passing over the Stage.

From Beaumont & Fletcher's Works (3 of 10): The Loyal Subject by Beaumont, Francis

Related Words

• girl
• mother