1. a chivalrous, courteous, or honorable man: "he behaved like a perfect gentleman"
▪ a man of good social position, especially one of wealth and leisure.
▪ (in the UK) a man of noble birth attached to a royal household: "a Gentleman of the Bedchamber"
2. a polite or formal way of referring to a man: "opposite her an old gentleman sat reading"
▪ used as a polite form of address to a group of men: "“Can I help you, gentlemen?”"
▪ used as a courteous designation for a male fellow member of the US House of Representatives.
Word OriginMiddle English (in the sense ‘man of noble birth’): from gentle1 + man, translating Old French gentilz hom. In later use the term denoted a man of a good family (especially one entitled to a coat of arms) but not of the nobility.
