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Synonyms

gentleman friend

American  

noun

Older Use.
  1. a man with whom a woman is romantically involved; suitor.


Etymology

Origin of gentleman friend

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30

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:

There must be lots of sixtysomething women in L.A. who would like a gentleman friend for going to plays and musicals.

From Slate Feb. 22, 2017

"Your gentleman friend, your lover? He has seen stars fall to dust. You might as well flirt with a mountain range."

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 23, 2014

Robert asks Strallan not to pursue Edith, but she defies her father and ends up engaged to her older gentleman friend, giving hope to all the sad Lady Ediths of the world.

From Time Jan. 7, 2013

The happy news is, our gentleman friend wasn't exaggerating, not even remotely.

From The Guardian Jul. 11, 2011

That his intentions were honorable and that he himself was certainly worthy of the doctor’s consideration as a gentleman friend for Miss Foster since, at twenty-five, he was already a colored man of property.

From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison

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