gentleman

[ jen-tl-muhn ]

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?

3. gentlemen, (used as a form of address):

   Gentlemen, please come this way.

4. a civilized, educated, sensitive, or well-mannered man:

   He behaved like a true gentleman.

5. a male personal servant, especially of a man of social position; valet.
6. a male attendant upon a king, queen, or other royal person, who is himself of high birth or rank.
7. a man of good social standing, as a noble or an armigerous commoner.
8. a man with an independent income who does not work for a living.
9. a male member of the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives:

   The chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.

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

gentleman

/ ˈdʒɛntəlmən /

noun

1. a man regarded as having qualities of refinement associated with a good family
2. a man who is cultured, courteous, and well-educated
3. a polite name for a man
4. the personal servant of a gentleman (esp in the phrase gentleman's gentleman )
5. history a man of gentle birth, who was entitled to bear arms, ranking above a yeoman in social position
6. (formerly) a smuggler

Derived Forms

• ˈgentlemanly, adjective
• ˈgentlemanliness, noun

Other Words From

• gentle·man·like adjective
• under·gentle·man noun plural undergentlemen
• un·gentle·man·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gentleman¹

Middle English word dating back to 1225–75; gentle, man

Synonym Study

See man.

Example Sentences

So Big Ern’s Barbeque is a barbeque shop and the owner is a gentleman named Ernie and he was working at the call center at Zappos and his passion was barbeque.

From Freakonomics

As I was getting ready to leave, this gentleman approached me, and I wished him a happy birthday.

From Washington Post

The gentleman in question appeared young and sprightly for his age.

From Washington Post

The way I look at it is that gentleman will probably be adopting our solutions very soon.

From ProPublica

Ladies & gentlemen, Shalom & welcome onboard flight 971 from Tel aviv to Abu Dhabi.

From Fortune

The gentleman was listed as Orthodox and kosher, which is way too religious for my friend whose JSwipe account I was test-driving.

From The Daily Beast

Still, I found myself agreeing with the older gentleman who saw the room as a sea of gentiles.

From The Daily Beast

You mentioned Ecleftic, and the strip club anthem “Perfect Gentleman” is on there.

From The Daily Beast

That being a gentleman and respecting women is a sign of being a failure.

From The Daily Beast

The Uber for Gentleman Companions By Julieanne Smolinski, Matter A new San Francisco startup promises “what women really want.”

From The Daily Beast

He was a bookseller, but better known as a translator of the German contributor to the Gentleman's Magazine, &c.

From Project Gutenberg

A gentleman expatiating upon the good looks of women, declared that he had never yet seen an ugly woman.

From Project Gutenberg

A gentleman got out of a carriage before it stopped, and fell between the rail and the platform.

From Project Gutenberg

At another time her affections were deeply engaged by a young gentleman who visited a lady on a neighboring plantation.

From Project Gutenberg

At the same moment the door was thrown open, and Mrs. Gordon appeared on the threshold with a gentleman behind her.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• aristocrat
• nobleman