gentleman-farmer

American  

[jen-tl-muhn-fahr-mer] / ˈdʒɛn tl mənˈfɑr mər /

noun

plural

gentlemen-farmers

1. a man whose wealth or income from other sources permits him to farm for pleasure rather than for basic income.

2. a man whose income from his farm has freed him from the necessity of physical labor.

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gentleman-farmer British  

noun

1. a person who engages in farming but does not depend on it for his living

2. a person who owns farmland but does not farm it personally

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Etymology

Origin of gentleman-farmer

First recorded in 1740–50

Example Sentences

One-time Governor McCray, now out of the penitentiary, wishing to re-establish a reputation as a gentleman-farmer and honest man, has announced his willingness to tell everything.

From Time Magazine Archive

And to F.D.R., the tall, dour gentleman-farmer who peered frostily at the world through pince-nez was sometimes "Henry the Morgue," but also "one of two of a kind"�the other being Roosevelt himself.

From Time Magazine Archive

The most talked about young Tory, gentleman-farmer David Eccles, 47, after waiting nervously for a week while 32 other jobs were filled, was made Minister of Works.

From Time Magazine Archive

During his time in office, Arbenz emerged as the owner of a $3,000,000 cotton plantation; his Interior Minister turned into a gentleman-farmer with two coffee fincas; another pal acquired two mansions.

From Time Magazine Archive

My father was a yeoman—an independent, or, as he was sometimes styled, a gentleman-farmer.

From The Desert Home The Adventures of a Lost Family in the Wilderness by Reid, Mayne