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:
But neither gentleman is what anyone would call efficacious.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
He was a sharpshooter, a man’s man, and a true gentleman.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
Initially introduced as an invisible scene partner for Meyers to scream-drawl at during his cornpone impersonations of the Republican gentleman from South Carolina, Mee-Maw evolved into a Southern gothic performance piece.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
Tadcaster's mayor Ricard Sweeting described the notoriously publicity-shy businessman as a "true gentleman" and a "man of principle".
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
“It would be much more commendable to be somebody else’s enemy,” said the gentleman; “far more natural.”
From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens
“I have visions of older gentlemen going out at night and doing it in balaclavas and golf jumpers,” said Susan Oliver, who runs SO & Co., a fashion accessories and gift store in town.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Erling Haaland and SoFi Stadium, ladies and gentlemen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 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
Mr Ratcliffe described the former students as "magnificent, young gentlemen".
From BBC ● May 24, 2026
“Now return it to its owner before one of these lazy gentlemen calls you a thief.”
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.
