second gentleman

American  

[sek-uhnd jen-tl-muhn] / ˈsɛk ənd ˈdʒɛn tl mən /

Informal, second gent

noun

plural

second gentlemen

1. Often Second Gentleman the husband of the U.S. vice president, or the husband of a current state or local official ranking immediately below the governor or mayor.

   America's first Second Gentleman.

2. Often Second Gentleman the husband of the second-ranking government official of any country.

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Etymology

Origin of second gentleman

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

On Tuesday night, second gentleman Doug Emhoff spoke after a touching video narrated by his son, Cole, introduced him to the country.

From Slate • Aug. 21, 2024

He left his law firm that year to focus full-time on his role as "second gentleman", a position that has pulled him out of relative obscurity.

From BBC • Aug. 16, 2024

Even in a city full of A-listers, the vice president and the second gentleman — and the traffic jams that follow them — are hard to escape.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2024

Biden and Harris will be joined by their spouses, first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 22, 2024

In a short time, the second gentleman having finished his examination, Mr. Johnston told me what he would give me for the ring, and I was amazed.

From All the Days of My Life: An Autobiography The Red Leaves of a Human Heart by Barr, Amelia Edith Huddleston