gentleman

noun

Any well-bred, well-mannered, or charming man.

(by extension; polite term of address) Any man.

(cricket) An amateur player, particularly one whose wealth permits him to forego payment.

(derogatory) An effeminate or oversophisticated man.

A surname transferred from the nickname.

(chiefly historical) A man of gentle but not noble birth, particularly a man of means (originally ownership of property) who does not work for a living but has no official status in a peerage; (UK law) an armigerous man ranking below a knight.

(usually historical, sometimes derogatory) An amateur or dabbler in any field, particularly those of independent means.

Roots

gensgen- · Latin · family, noble birth mann-man · Old English · person, man

Synonyms for gentleman

mann gentn ladyn valetn noblemann chapn bloken lordling aristocratn chevaliern

Synonyms & related words for gentleman

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of gentleman — including man, gent, lady, valet, nobleman, chap. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to gentleman

Explore words related to gentleman — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include gentlewoman, gentlemen, gentlemanly, monsieur, sir, madam, gentlewomen, ladyship. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for gentleman

Common synonyms for gentleman include man, gent, lady, valet, nobleman, chap, bloke, lordling — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does gentleman come from?

The word gentleman breaks down into 2 roots of Latin and Old English origin: gen-, from Latin gens (“family, noble birth”); and -man, from Old English mann (“person, man”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.