gentlemanly
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of gentlemanly
late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425; see origin at gentleman, -ly
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.
In the former, a gentlemanly Preston Chamblee, also in a debut, elegantly escorted and expertly supported Ms. Nadon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
He’s also among the last of a dying breed: a two-way center who stood out on both ends of the ice, but was also gentlemanly enough to win the Lady Byng trophy three times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 11, 2026
When George Templeton Strong, a prominent Wall Street attorney, died at 55 in 1875, the New York Tribune’s obituary dutifully listed his gentlemanly contributions to the cultural life of his city.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
Dwane Walcott’s “Mitch,” as he is known to friends, has a diffidence that in Blanche’s eyes makes him seem almost gentlemanly among Stanley’s boorish friends.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2025
Inside I was quietly starting to panic, but I smiled and kept trying my gentlemanly best to be a good date, holding the door for her, telling her how beautiful she was.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
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.
