gentleman-farmer
Americannoun
plural
gentlemen-farmers-
a man whose wealth or income from other sources permits him to farm for pleasure rather than for basic income.
-
a man whose income from his farm has freed him from the necessity of physical labor.
noun
-
a person who engages in farming but does not depend on it for his living
-
a person who owns farmland but does not farm it personally
Etymology
Origin of gentleman-farmer
First recorded in 1740–50
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.
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
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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
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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
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Firmly letting it be known that President Roosevelt had not changed his mind about how much new revenue he wanted, the baldish, lanky gentleman-farmer urged revival of processing taxes to supply the $380,000,000 House deficiency.
From Time Magazine Archive
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Mr Humphreys owned as well as farmed his land, and so might have claimed, had he chosen, the title of gentleman-farmer; but he himself would have scoffed at such an idea.
From The Young Colonists A Story of the Zulu and Boer Wars by Henty, G.A.
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.