Jump To:

• goodman
  goodman

  noun

  the master of a household; husband.
• Goodman
  Goodman

  noun

  Benjamin David Benny, 1909–86, U.S. jazz clarinetist and bandleader.

goodman

¹ American  

[good-muhn] / ˈgʊd mən /

noun

Archaic.

• goodmen
  plural

1. the master of a household; husband.

2. (initial capital letter) a title of respect used for a man below the rank of gentleman, especially a farmer or yeoman.

---

Goodman ² American  

[good-muhn] / ˈgʊd mən /

noun

1. Benjamin David Benny, 1909–86, U.S. jazz clarinetist and bandleader.

---

goodman ¹ British  

/ ˈɡʊdmən /

noun

1. a husband

2. a man not of gentle birth: used as a title

3. a master of a household

---

Goodman ² British  

/ ˈɡʊdmən /

noun

1. Benny, full name Benjamin David Goodman. 1909–86, US jazz clarinetist and bandleader, whose treatment of popular songs created the jazz idiom known as swing

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• goodmen
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of goodman

Middle English word dating back to 1125–75; see origin at good, -man

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

goodman Goodman goodmen

Outside stood the goodman by the barn door, threshing.

From Tales from the Fjeld A Second Series of Popular Tales by P. Chr. Asbj?rnsen

There, blocking up the doorway of the latticed and green-painted tenement, was the figure of goodman Matthew; and the little bandy-legged pippin-faced gardener was coolly resting on his spade while he addressed his master within.

From Judith Shakespeare Her love affairs and other adventures by William Black

The woman, faint-hearted and overmastered by a nameless dread, cried out to the goodman to ride for life—the woods were full of devils.

From Nooks and Corners of the New England Coast by Samuel Adams Drake

But at that word the goodman, who had snatched up a thatching stake, paused on the threshold.

From Sophia A Romance by Stanley John Weyman

Well, every man to his own taste; but, Betty, excuse my asking so personal a question, why do you always refer to your goodman here as "Nathan, puir falla"?'

From Betty Grier by Joseph Laing Waugh

Around this time, Kearns made his way to Chicago, where he studied acting at the original Goodman School of Drama, which became the Theatre School at DePaul University, and graduated in 1972.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Norman Goodman, 75, came out as bisexual in his late 60s after the death of his wife Marilyn.

From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026

That said, Goodman said that for people with more limited savings, if they have to spend down principal in order to delay, that might be limiting.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

In the Washington Times, former Federal Election Commission Chairman Lee Goodman makes the case that Mr. Warrington’s tenure has been among the most consequential in history.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

The company was started in the 1980s by Drew and Myra Goodman, two farmers who started with exactly no farming experience.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Saw the Westmilne house, the goodmen wheirof ware Boswels.

From Publications of the Scottish History Society, Volume 36 Journals of Sir John Lauder Lord Fountainhall with His Observations on Public Affairs and Other Memoranda 1665-1676 by Lord John Lauder Fountainhall

Pleasant it is to think of the church appearance of the Puritan goodmen and goodwives.

From Sabbath in Puritan New England by Alice Morse Earle

But when they came to the gate of the Thorp, there were assembled the goodmen and swains to meet them with torches and wine in their honour. 

From The Roots of the Mountains; Wherein Is Told Somewhat of the Lives of the Men of Burgdale by William Morris

So we scattered and covered ourselves with the oak-boles, but besides Iron-shield, who was slain outright, two goodmen were sorely hurt, to wit Bald-face, a man of our house, and Stonyford of the Lower Dale.

From The Roots of the Mountains; Wherein Is Told Somewhat of the Lives of the Men of Burgdale by William Morris

A strange old piece, goodmen — whirled about from here to yonder, as if I were nothing!

From Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• head of the house
• householder

---