gentleman
- gentleman
gentleman
The word gentleman, formerly a term indicating social class, has largely fallen out of use in this meaning with the gradual erosion of class distinctions. It survives as a form of address (usually as ladies and gentlemen), in the phrase gentleman's agreement (an informal agreement not binding in law) and as a term of general polite reference, especially in public (I have a question from the gentleman in the second row). The designation gentlemen is still occasionally seen on signs for public lavatories, but men is more usual. The feminine form gentlewoman, meaning ‘a woman of good birth or breeding’ has almost entirely fallen out of use except as an archaism or for special effect
• (Underwear, as anyone au fait with the night-time antics of the Hilton/Spears/Lohan generation will attest, is an unnecessary part of a young gentlewoman's wardrobe in the modern age —Sunday Review, 2007).
Modern English usage.
2014.
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Look at other dictionaries:
Gentleman — Gentleman … Deutsch Wörterbuch
gentleman — [ ʒɑ̃tləman; dʒɛntləman ] n. m. • 1698; gentilleman 1558; angl. gentleman, d apr. gentilhomme 1 ♦ Homme distingué, d une parfaite éducation. ⇒ gentilhomme (2o). Se comporter en gentleman. Arsène Lupin, le gentleman cambrioleur. Des gentlemans ou… … Encyclopédie Universelle
Gentleman — en 2005. Tilmann Otto (19 de abril de 1975 en Osnabrück, Alemania), mejor conocido por su nombre artístico Gentleman, es un Músico del Reggae. Contenido 1 … Wikipedia Español
Gentleman — Sm Mann von Lebensart und Charakter erw. fremd. Erkennbar fremd (18. Jh.) Entlehnung. Entlehnt aus ne. gentleman, einer Lehnübersetzung zu frz. gentilhomme, beides ursprünglich Edelmann . ne. gentle geht über frz. gentil zurück auf l. gentīlis… … Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen sprache
Gentleman — Gen tle*man, n.; pl. {Gentlemen}. [OE. gentilman nobleman; gentil noble + man man; cf. F. gentilhomme.] [1913 Webster] 1. A man well born; one of good family; one above the condition of a yeoman. [1913 Webster] 2. One of gentle or refined… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
gentleman — GENTLEMAN, gentlemeni, s.m. Bărbat cu comportări alese, ireproşabile, cu caracter distins. [pr.: géntlmen] – cuv. engl. Trimis de gall, 03.05.2008. Sursa: DEX 98 GENTLEM//AN [pr.: géntlmen] gentlemanani m. Persoană care respectă cu stricteţe… … Dicționar Român
gentleman — patrician, aristocrat are comparable when they denote a person of good or noble birth. Gentleman basically implies descent from good family, the right to bear a coat of arms, and social rank just below that of the noble and above that of the… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
gentleman — (n.) well born man, early 13c., from GENTLE (Cf. gentle) + MAN (Cf. man). The Gentleman is always truthful and sincere; will not agree for the sake of complaisance or out of weakness ; will not pass over that of which he disapproves. He has a… … Etymology dictionary
gentleman — [jent′ l mən] n. pl. gentlemen [jent′ lmən] [ME gentilman (after OFr gentilz hom): see GENTLE & MAN] 1. a) Obs. a man born into a family of high social standing b) any man of independent means who does not work for a living … English World dictionary
Gentleman — (engl., spr. dschéntl män, entsprechend im gewissen Sinn den französischen Ausdrücken »gentilhomme« und »galant homme«, mehr noch dem italienischen gentiluomo) ist zunächst in England eine Standesbezeichnung. Früher bezeichnete man mit G. den… … Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon
