gentleman
A gentleman is a polite and respectful man who knows how to behave in social situations.
If you think of a person who's always courteous, considerate, and well-mannered, that's what we mean by "gentleman". We often use the word to describe someone who opens doors for others, uses good table manners, and doesn't talk loudly or crudely. A gentleman is also someone who treats people with kindness and respect, regardless of their social status or background. You might hear someone say, "He's a real gentleman, always helping out his neighbors." Or, "At the party, John was the only one who behaved like a true gentleman."
How common is "gentleman"?
It appears most frequently in spoken dialogues and less often in other writings.
noun
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; an armiferous man ranking below a knight.
Example: 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.
Real examples of "gentlemen" in context
