gentleman

See also: Gentleman

English

Etymology

From Middle English gentilman, morphologically gentle +‎ man, partial calque of Old French gentilhome.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒɛn.təl.mən/
• IPA^(key): [ˈd͡ʒɛɾ̃.ɫ̩.mən]

• Audio (US):

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• Audio (AU):

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• Hyphenation: gentle‧man
• Homophone: gentlemen

Noun

gentleman (plural gentlemen)

1. (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 armiferous man ranking below a knight.

   Being a gentleman, Robert was entitled to shove other commoners into the gongpit but he still had to jump out of the way of the knights to avoid the same fate himself.

   • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act , scene ii:

     And when their ſcattered armie is ſubdu’d:
     And you march on their ſlaughtered carkaſſes,
     Share equally the gold that bought their liues,
     And liue like Gentlmen in Perſea, […]

   • 1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw […], Act I:

     But when Adam delued, and Eue ſpan,
     VVho was then a Gentleman?

   • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

     “ […] This is Mr. Churchill, who, as you are aware, is good enough to come to us for his diaconate, and, as we hope, for much longer; and being a gentleman of independent means, he declines to take any payment.” Saying this Walden rubbed his hands together and smiled contentedly.

2. Any well-bred, well-mannered, or charming man.
   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

     I corralled the judge, and we started off across the fields, in no very mild state of fear of that gentleman's wife, whose vigilance was seldom relaxed.

   • 1915, G[eorge] A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter I, in Gossamer, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, →OCLC:

     As a political system democracy seems to me extraordinarily foolish, […]. My servant is, so far as I am concerned, welcome to as many votes as he can get. […] I do not suppose that it matters much in reality whether laws are made by dukes or cornerboys, but I like, as far as possible, to associate with gentlemen in private life.

   • 2011, Mike Pappas, Growing Up the Greek Way in the Big Apple, page 103:

     She wanted to go see a movie called Gigi, which I was not too thrilled about. But being a gentleman, I bit my tongue and said, “Okay.”

3. (derogatory) An effeminate or oversophisticated man.

   Synonyms: cockney, puss-gentleman, sissy; see also Thesaurus:effeminate man

   Well, la-di-da, aren't you just a proper gentleman?

4. (polite term of address) Any man.

   Synonym: sahib

   Coordinate terms: lady, gentlewoman, (historical) gentlelady

   Please escort this gentleman to the gentlemen's room.

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

   Synonym: dilettante

   • 2004, Mary N. Woods, “The First Professional: Benjamin Henry Latrobe”, in Keith L. Eggener, editor, American Architectural History: A Contemporary Reader, electronic edition, Routledge, →ISBN, page 119:

     Latrobe had extensive dealings with Jefferson, the most prominent gentleman-architect in the United States.

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

   Coordinate terms: professional, (historical) player

Usage notes

• Although gentleman is used in reference to a man and gentlemen is used as a polite form of address to a group of men, it is more common to directly address a single gentleman as sir.
• The singular possesive of the sense "any well-bred, well-mannered, or charming man" can appear in ad hoc compounds to describe a polite way of doing something; e.g. a "gentleman's sweep" when a dominant basketball team allowed the opponent one win in a series[1].

Derived terms

Terms derived from gentleman

• April gentleman
• country gentleman
• first gentleman
• gent
• gentleman about town
• gentleman and scholar
• gentleman-at-arms
• gentleman-commoner
• gentleman cow
• gentleman farmer
• Gentleman Jim
• gentlemanliness
• gentlemanly
• gentleman of leisure
• gentleman of the back door
• gentleman's bet
• gentleman's C
• gentleman scientist
• gentleman's gentleman
• gentleman usher
• gentlemen's agreement
• gentlemen's club
• gentlemen's room
• ladies and gentlemen
• old gentleman
• put the beggar on the gentleman
• scholar and gentleman
• second gentleman
• temporary gentleman
• walking gentleman

 

Related terms

• gentlewoman
• gentlelady

Descendants

• Chinese Pidgin English: gentleman
• → Danish: gentleman
• → Esperanto: ĝentlemano
• → French: gentleman
• → Georgian: ჯენტლმენი (ǯenṭlmeni)
• → Mohegan-Pequot: gundermon
• → Polish: dżentelmen
• → Portuguese: gentleman
• → Spanish: gentleman

Translations

man of breeding

• Afrikaans: heer (af)
• Arabic: جِنْتِلْمَان m (jentilmān), شَهْم (ar) m (šahm), مُؤَدَّب m (muʔaddab), مُهَذَّب m (muhaḏḏab)
• Armenian: ջենտլմեն (hy) (ǰentlmen)
• Bulgarian: благородник (bg) m (blagorodnik)
• Catalan: cavaller (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 紳士／绅士 (zh) (shēnshì)

• Dutch: heer (nl) m
• Esperanto: ĝentlemano
• Estonian: härra
• Finnish: herrasmies (fi)
• French: gentilhomme (fr) m
• Georgian: ჯენტლმენი (ǯenṭlmeni)
• German: Herr (de)
• Greek: κύριος (el) m (kýrios), ευπατρίδης (el) m (efpatrídis)
• Hebrew: גְּבִיר (he) m (gvir)
• Icelandic: herra (is) m
• Italian: gentiluomo (it) m, galantuomo (it) m
• Japanese: 紳士 (ja) (しんし, shinshi), ジェントルマン (jentoruman), ゼントルマン (zentoruman)
• Khmer: បុរសសង្ហា (bŏrsâsngha), បុរសសមសួន (bŏrsâsmôsuŏn), បុរស (km) (borɑh)
• Korean: 신사 (ko) (sinsa), 젠틀맨 (jenteulmaen)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: hêja (ku), rêzdar (ku), birêz (ku), mamoste (ku), seyda (ku), efendî (ku)

• Macedonian: господин m (gospodin)
• Maori: tangata mārire
• Persian: جنتلمن (fa) (jentelman), لودی (ludi) (archaic)
• Polish: dżentelmen (pl) m
• Portuguese: fidalgo (pt) m, nobre (pt) m or f, gentil-homem (pt) m
• Romani: raj m
• Russian: дже́нтльмен (ru) (džéntlʹmen), джентльме́н (ru) (džentlʹmén)
• Scottish Gaelic: duine-uasal m
• Serbo-Croatian: gospodin (sh) m
• Sicilian: galantòminu m
• Spanish: caballero (es) m
• Swedish: herre (sv) c
• Tagalog: ginoo (tl)

well-mannered, or charming man

• Arabic: اَلسَّيِّد m (as-sayyid), سَيِّد m (sayyid), أَفَنْدِي m (ʔafandī), خَوَاجَا m (ḵawājā)
• Armenian: պարոն (hy) (paron)
• Belarusian: спада́р (be) m (spadár), пан m (pan)
• Bengali: মিঞা (bn) (miã)
• Bulgarian: господи́н (bg) m (gospodín)
• Catalan: cavaller (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 先生 (zh) (xiānsheng)

• Czech: pan (cs) m, pán (cs) m
• Dutch: meneer (nl) m
• Finnish: herrasmies (fi)
• French: monsieur (fr) m
• Galician: cabaleiro (gl) m
• Georgian: პატივცემული (ṗaṭivcemuli), ბატონი (baṭoni), დიდებული (ka) (didebuli)
• German: Herr (de) m
• Greek: κύριος (el) m (kýrios)
• Hungarian: úriember (hu), úr (hu)
• Icelandic: herramaður m, herra (is) m, aðalsmaður (is) m, heiðursmaður m, ljúfmenni (is) m, prúðmenni m, valmenni m
• Italian: gentiluomo (it) m, galantuomo (it) m, signore (it) m,
• Japanese: (usually omitted), 先生 (ja) (せんせい, sensei) (addressing teachers, doctors, etc.), お客様 (おきゃくさま, o-kyaku-sama) (to customers, guests), だんな (ja) (danna)
• Khmer: លោក (km) (look), អ្នកប្រុស (ʼnɑkproh)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: hêja (ku), rêzdar (ku), birêz (ku), mamoste (ku), seyda (ku), efendî (ku)

• Macedonian: господин m (gospodin)
• Maori: tangata hūmārie
• Polish: dżentelmen (pl) m, pan (pl) m
• Portuguese: senhor (pt) m, cavalheiro (pt) m
• Romanian: domn (ro) m, gentleman (ro) m
• Russian: господи́н (ru) m (gospodín), (obsolete) су́дарь (ru) m (súdarʹ), уважа́емый (ru) m (uvažájemyj)
• Scottish Gaelic: duine-uasal m
• Serbo-Croatian: gospodin (sh) m
• Sicilian: don m
• Spanish: caballero (es) m
• Swedish: gentleman (sv) c, herre (sv) c
• Ukrainian: пан (uk) m (pan)

polite form of address to men

• Arabic: سَادَتِي m pl (sādatī)
• Armenian: պարոն (hy) (paron)
• Bengali: মিঞা (bn) (miã)
• Bulgarian: господин (bg) m (gospodin)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 紳士／绅士 (zh) (shēnshì), 先生們／先生们 pl (xiānshengmen), (everyone, ladies and gentlemen) 各位 (zh) (gèwèi), 諸君／诸君 (zh) (zhūjūn)

• Dutch: heren (nl)
• Finnish: herrasmies (fi)
• French: messieurs (fr) m pl
• Galician: señor m, cabaleiro (gl) m
• Georgian: ბატონი (baṭoni)
• German: Herr (de) m, meine Herren pl
• Greek: κύριοι (el) m pl (kýrioi)
• Hungarian: urak (hu)
• Icelandic: herramenn m
• Italian: signor (it) m, signori (it) m pl
• Japanese: (everyone, ladies and gentlemen) 各位 (ja) (かくい, kakui), 諸君 (ja) (しょくん, shokun)
• Khmer: សុភាពបុរស (sŏphéapbŏrsâ)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: hêja (ku), rêzdar (ku), birêz (ku), mamoste (ku), seyda (ku), efendî (ku), ezbenî (ku), ez-xulam (ku)

• Macedonian: господин m (gospodin)
• Polish: panowie m pl
• Portuguese: senhor (pt) m
• Romanian: domnilor m pl, domnii mei m pl
• Russian: господа́ (ru) pl (gospodá)
• Serbo-Croatian: gospoda (sh) f
• Sicilian: signuri (scn) m pl
• Spanish: señores (es) m
• Swedish: herr (sv) c, herre (sv) c

toilets intended for use by men

• Bulgarian: мъжка тоалетна f (mǎžka toaletna)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 男廁所／男厕所 (náncèsuǒ)

• Dutch: heren (nl)
• Finnish: miesten
• Galician: homes (gl) m pl, cabaleiros (gl) m pl
• Georgian: კაცის საპირფარეშო (ḳacis saṗirparešo)
• Hungarian: urak (hu)
• Icelandic: karlaklósett n
• Japanese: 男性用トイレ (danseiyō-toire)
• Khmer: បុរស (km) (borɑh)
• Macedonian: машки тоале́т m (maški toalét)
• Norwegian: herrer m pl, herretoalett n
• Portuguese: banheiro masculino m
• Romanian: bărbați (ro) m pl, domni (ro) m pl
• Russian: мужско́й туале́т m (mužskój tualét)
• Sicilian: màsculi m pl
• Swedish: herrtoalett (sv)

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Chinese

Etymology

From English gentleman.

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): zen¹ tou⁴ man⁴

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• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: zen¹ tou⁴ man⁴
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dzen¹ tou⁴ man⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /t͡sɛːn⁵⁵ tʰou̯²¹ mɐn²¹/

Adjective

gentleman

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) gentlemanlike

See also

• man

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Chinese Pidgin English

Alternative forms

• 毡地文 (Chinese characters)

Etymology

From English gentleman.

Noun

gentleman

1. A respectful term for a person of either sex: gentleman, lady
   • 1862, T‘ong Ting-Kü, Ying Ü Tsap T’sün, or The Chinese and English Instructor, volume 4, Canton, page 39:

     希郎温毡地文'託其

     Hei1 long4 wan1 zin1 dei6 man4 tok3 kei4.

     He is talking with a gentleman.

     (literally, “He long one gentleman talkee.”)

References

• Gow, W. S. P. (1924) Gow’s Guide to Shanghai, 1924: A Complete, Concise and Accurate Handbook of the City and District, Especially Compiled for the Use of Tourists and Commercial Visitors to the Far East, Shanghai, page 105: “Gentleman: does not always indicate the male sex. e.g. “outside have got two piece gentleman, one belong missee.” (Lunde.)”

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French

Etymology

Borrowed from English gentleman.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dʒɛn.tlə.man/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

gentleman m (plural gentlemen or gentlemans)

1. gentleman, especially an anglophone one

Further reading

• “gentleman”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Anagrams

• mélangent

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Romanian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English gentleman.

Noun

gentleman m (plural gentlemeni)

1. gentleman

Declension

Declension of gentleman

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) gentleman	gentlemanul	(niște) gentlemeni	gentlemenii
genitive/dative	(unui) gentleman	gentlemanului	(unor) gentlemeni	gentlemenilor
vocative	gentlemanule		gentlemenilor

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Spanish

Noun

gentleman m (plural gentlemen)

1. British gentleman

Further reading

• “gentleman”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

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Yola

Etymology

From Middle English gentilman.

Noun

gentleman

1. gentleman
   • 1867, “DR. RUSSELL ON THE INHABITANTS AND DIALECT OF THE BARONY OF FORTH”, in APPENDIX:

     Gentleman Broune,

     Gentleman Browne.

References

• Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 126