gentilhomme

gentleman

noun zhahn-tee-OM Rare

Origin: From gentil ('noble') + homme ('man'); calque of the concept of 'gentleman'.

Also means

nobleman

Usage Note

Gentilhomme historically referred to a man of noble birth, just below the ranks of the high aristocracy. Its irregular plural is gentilshommes (the 'l' is silent in both forms). Today it is largely literary or historical; the everyday word for a polite man is un homme distingué or simply un gentleman (borrowed back from English).

Examples

"C'était un vrai gentilhomme de province."

Natural Translation

He was a true country gentleman.

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