gentleman
Americannoun
-
gentlemen
plural
-
a man of good family, breeding, or social position.
-
(used as a polite term) a man.
Do you know that gentleman over there?
-
gentlemen, (used as a form of address).
Gentlemen, please come this way.
-
a civilized, educated, sensitive, or well-mannered man.
He behaved like a true gentleman.
-
a male personal servant, especially of a man of social position; valet.
-
a male attendant upon a king, queen, or other royal person, who is himself of high birth or rank.
-
a man of good social standing, as a noble or an armigerous commoner.
-
a man with an independent income who does not work for a living.
-
a male member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives.
The chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.
-
History/Historical. a man who is above the rank of yeoman.
noun
-
a man regarded as having qualities of refinement associated with a good family
-
a man who is cultured, courteous, and well-educated
-
a polite name for a man
-
the personal servant of a gentleman (esp in the phrase gentleman's gentleman )
-
history a man of gentle birth, who was entitled to bear arms, ranking above a yeoman in social position
-
(formerly) a smuggler
Synonym Usage
See man.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
gentlemanlinessnoun
-
undergentlemannoun
-
gentlemanlikeadjective
-
gentlemanlyadjective
-
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.
See Examples For:
He was a sharpshooter, a man’s man, and a true gentleman.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Initially introduced as an invisible scene partner for Meyers to scream-drawl at during his cornpone impersonations of the Republican gentleman from South Carolina, Mee-Maw evolved into a Southern gothic performance piece.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
Tadcaster's mayor Ricard Sweeting described the notoriously publicity-shy businessman as a "true gentleman" and a "man of principle".
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Though Mr. Burgis encountered hostility from some of the men, he also connected with an older gentleman with whom he bonded while watching a tennis match on television.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
If the roof of the house had suddenly flown off, the old gentleman wouldn’t have been more astonished.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
Jewish by birth, Disraeli was a departure from the aristocrats and country gentlemen whose party he refashioned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s been such a beautiful day, I’m thinking why don’t we just do this right now and get married right now?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
"There's a lot of discussion -- the MoU, the gentleman's agreements, the final deal. Words don't matter, ladies and gentlemen, we're about verification," Vance told reporters.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
“There’s a lot of discussion, the MOU, the gentlemen’s agreements, the final deal—words don’t matter, ladies and gentlemen, we’re about verification,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
“Yes, it seems you have. Who might you young gentlemen be?”
From Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm
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.
