gentleman

[ jen-tl-muhn ]
See synonyms for: gentlemangentlemengentlemanlike on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural gen·tle·men.
  1. a man of good family, breeding, or social position.

  2. (used as a polite term) a man: Do you know that gentleman over there?

  1. gentlemen, (used as a form of address): Gentlemen, please come this way.

  2. a civilized, educated, sensitive, or well-mannered man: He behaved like a true gentleman.

  3. a male personal servant, especially of a man of social position; valet.

  4. a male attendant upon a king, queen, or other royal person, who is himself of high birth or rank.

  5. a man of good social standing, as a noble or an armigerous commoner.

  6. a man with an independent income who does not work for a living.

  7. a male member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives: The chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.

  8. History/Historical. a man who is above the rank of yeoman.

Origin of gentleman

1
Middle English word dating back to 1225–75; see origin at gentle, man

synonym study For gentleman

4. See man.

Other words from gentleman

  • gen·tle·man·like, adjective
  • un·der·gen·tle·man, noun, plural un·der·gen·tle·men.
  • un·gen·tle·man·like, adjective

Words Nearby gentleman

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use gentleman in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for gentleman

gentleman

/ (ˈdʒɛntəlmən) /


nounplural -men
  1. a man regarded as having qualities of refinement associated with a good family

  2. a man who is cultured, courteous, and well-educated

  1. a polite name for a man

  2. the personal servant of a gentleman (esp in the phrase gentleman's gentleman)

  3. British history a man of gentle birth, who was entitled to bear arms, ranking above a yeoman in social position

  4. (formerly) a smuggler

Derived forms of gentleman

  • gentlemanly, adjective
  • gentlemanliness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012