as in lady
a woman of high birth or social position
in the 19th century a number of American gentlewomen used their wealth and influence to further abolitionism, women's rights, and other worthy causes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gentlewoman
Those laughs are balanced with real world issues, and a longing for these gentlewomen locked into the suffocating zeitgeist of early 1800s British Regency.
—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
12 Dec. 2025
Social status and fashion conspired to make gentlewomen’s footwear of every sort flimsy.
—
Literary Hub,
4 Aug. 2025
The novelists’ parents were Patrick and Maria Brontë, an Irish clergyman and a Cornish gentlewoman who married in 1812.
—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 May 2025
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
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
12 Dec. 2025
Social status and fashion conspired to make gentlewomen’s footwear of every sort flimsy.
—
Literary Hub,
4 Aug. 2025
The novelists’ parents were Patrick and Maria Brontë, an Irish clergyman and a Cornish gentlewoman who married in 1812.
—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 May 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gentlewoman
Noun
-
Much of this episode focused on Rhaenyra’s uncomfortable interactions with various lords and ladies in King’s Landing, from a hostile High Septon to Lord Corlys Velaryon to her new dragonriders.
-
Madonna never set out to become a classic British lady of the manor, however, until fate intervened when she was introduced to Hugo Vickers, Cecil Beaton's suave biographer, through a mutual friend in 1998.
Noun
-
Jarman and Karen Spencer were previously embroiled in legal proceedings after the archeologist sued the countess in 2024, People and The Times reported.
-
But the countess couldn’t stop wondering where Alberta’s dress could be.
Noun
-
Resting options include double bunk beds in back and queen bed with bamboo mattress up front.
-
Get a king for the price of a queen, or a queen for the price of a twin, plus a free adjustable base during the sale.
Cite this Entry
“Gentlewoman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gentlewoman. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
