gentleman
Americannoun
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gentlemen
plural
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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.
See Examples For:
“He was a gentleman, very courteous, very receptive,” Salazar said.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
The organisation said he was an "extraordinary gentleman whose remarkable life will never be forgotten".
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
He was a sharpshooter, a man’s man, and a true gentleman.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
She continued: “He was a true and noble gentleman, wrapped up in my dream leading man. I will love you forever, Dr. Alan Grant.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
His excellent manners, educated voice, and physical poise marked him as a gentleman.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
Ladies and gentlemen, I must be pretty persuasive, because I got both.”
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
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
He is furious at Captain Smith, who keeps reminding the gentlemen that they have signed seven-year contracts with the Virginia Company, and they can’t quit this voyage.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
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.
