1. A man of gentle or noble birth or superior social position: "He's too much a gentleman to be a scholar" (Aphra Behn).
2. A well-mannered and considerate man with high standards of proper behavior. See Usage Note at lady.
3. A man of independent means who does not need to have a wage-paying job.
4. A man: Do you know this gentleman?
5. gentlemen (-mən) Used as a form of address for a group of men.
6. A manservant; a valet.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.