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gentlewoman

American  
[jen-tl-woom-uhn] / ˈdʒɛn tlˌwʊm ən /

noun

plural

gentlewomen

  1. a woman of good family, breeding, or social position

  2. a civilized, educated, sensitive, or well-mannered woman; lady.

  3. a woman who attends upon a lady of rank.

  4. a female member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives.

    The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Maine.
gentlewoman British  
/ ˈdʒɛntəlˌwʊmən /

noun

  1. archaic a woman regarded as being of good family or breeding; lady

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

  3. history a woman in personal attendance on a high-ranking lady

"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

Other Word Forms

  • gentlewomanliness noun
  • gentlewomanly adjective

Etymology

Origin of gentlewoman

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; gentle, woman

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.

“Portrait of a Court Lady,” acquired in 2013, shows the nearly life-size image of a refined gentlewoman seated on a garden terrace.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 12, 2025

"Because being a polite gentleman or gentlewoman is all about first impressions," she said.

From BBC • Nov. 10, 2025

One of his stories is about a Southern gentlewoman who keeps her dead fiance’s corpse in her bed.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2023

Schiff shot back, “As the gentlewoman should know, if she was present for the depositions — ”

From Washington Post • Nov. 15, 2019

Once I have given birth, I will give my child to some gentlewoman more fit and more deserving to be a mother than I am.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

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.