gentleman

American  

[jen-tl-muhn] / ˈdʒɛn tl mən /

noun

plural

gentlemen

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

2. (used as a polite term) a man.

   Do you know that gentleman over there?

3. gentlemen, (used as a form of address).

   Gentlemen, please come this way.

4. a civilized, educated, sensitive, or well-mannered man.

   He behaved like a true gentleman.

5. a male personal servant, especially of a man of social position; valet.

6. a male attendant upon a king, queen, or other royal person, who is himself of high birth or rank.

7. a man of good social standing, as a noble or an armigerous commoner.

8. a man with an independent income who does not work for a living.

9. a male member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives.

   The chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.

10. History/Historical. a man who is above the rank of yeoman.

---

gentleman British  

/ ˈdʒɛntəlmən /

noun

1. a man regarded as having qualities of refinement associated with a good family

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

3. a polite name for a man

4. the personal servant of a gentleman (esp in the phrase gentleman's gentleman )

5. history a man of gentle birth, who was entitled to bear arms, ranking above a yeoman in social position

6. (formerly) a smuggler

---

Related Words

See man.

Other Word Forms

• gentlemanlike adjective
• gentlemanliness noun
• gentlemanly adjective
• undergentleman noun
• ungentlemanlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of gentleman

Middle English word dating back to 1225–75; gentle, man

Example Sentences

Among the well known names to pay tribute to Cook when he died was boxing promoter Frank Warren, who posted on social media that he was a "true gentleman of our sport".

From BBC

And a gentleman by the name of Ricky Calliar, who I speak a lot of lately because he was an important mentor in my life as a child.

From Los Angeles Times

“I’m here to buy arms,” Vasdev told an older Sikh gentleman who noticed him at the train station on arrival, according to family lore.

From The Wall Street Journal

Jump also entered into a “gentlemen’s agreement” with Terraform, in which the trading firm agreed to help maintain TerraUSD’s peg to the dollar.

From The Wall Street Journal

But her raucous Georgie made me wonder why this solitary older gentleman was tolerating her intrusive madness.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aristocrat
• nobleman