gentlewoman

noun

gen·​tle·​wom·​an ˈjen-tᵊl-ˌwu̇-mən How to pronounce gentlewoman (audio)
1
a
: a woman of noble or gentle birth
b
: a woman who is an attendant upon a lady of rank
2
: a woman of refined manners or good breeding : lady

Examples of gentlewoman in a Sentence

in the 19th century a number of American gentlewomen used their wealth and influence to further abolitionism, women's rights, and other worthy causes
Recent Examples on the Web Maybe Kate can get Parton to hop back across the pond to play a few songs and, as a real Southern gentlewoman, teach those rather provincial Brits how to properly serve tea. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 28 Aug. 2023 In the north, Solomon knew, young oblates, the cherished daughters of gentlewomen, were given to the Lord out of the ranks of the nobility. Cynthia Ozick, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023 One of his stories is about a Southern gentlewoman who keeps her dead fiance’s corpse in her bed. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2023 Belfast, Dune, Licorice Pizza, The Power of the Dog, and West Side Story all got nominated by the Directors Guild, and unless something truly wild happens (perhaps Kenneth Branagh will actually turn out to be an Elizabethan gentlewoman in disguise), each of them should be a lock. Vulture, 3 Feb. 2022 Is the gentlewoman nonetheless a role of sorts? Amy Verner, Vogue, 17 Jan. 2022 Two months earlier a gentlewoman had stopped there with her newborn boy. The Economist, 4 July 2020 The two actors dated in the eighties and eventually married other people, but, ever the gentlewoman, Mirren has nothing but praise for the Irish actor. Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 22 Nov. 2022 For example, an unmarried gentlewoman, regardless of her age, wasn’t supposed to travel unless escorted by a relation or chaperone. Lila Thulin, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gentlewoman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of gentlewoman was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near gentlewoman

Cite this Entry

“Gentlewoman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentlewoman. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gentlewoman

noun
gen·​tle·​wom·​an ˈjent-ᵊl-ˌwu̇m-ən How to pronounce gentlewoman (audio)
1
a
: a woman of good birth and position
b
: a woman attending a lady of rank
2
: a woman with very good manners : lady

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