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A gentleman has several varying definitions. They are either an individual who is a part of the landed gentry class; a British upper level social class who owned land and are dependent on rental income, or a person who is of high chivalry or good behavior. It can also be an individual who does not engage in manual labor.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentleman

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gen·​tle·​man ˈjen-tᵊl-mən

in rapid speech also ˈjen-tə-mən,

: a man belonging to the landed gentry

: a man of any social class or condition - often used in a courteous reference or usually in the plural in address

Examples of gentleman in a Sentence

A true He's a gentleman would never engage in such behavior. gentleman by birth.

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

Word History

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

The first known use of gentleman was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near gentleman

Cite this Entry

"Gentleman." Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gentleman. Accessed 7 May. 2024.

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Merriam-Webster unabridged

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a man of noble or gentle birth; a man belonging to the landed gentry; a man who combines gentle birth or rank with chivalrous qualities... See the full definition

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Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Monna Vanna, 1866, oil on canvas, 88.9 x 86.4 cm (Tate) (photo: Tate, CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

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Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and children by Franz Xaver Winterhalter.jpg

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Information |Description={{JPEG version of PNG|Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and children by Franz Xaver Winterhalter.png}} Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and their children. Franz Xaver Winterhalter (died 1873), 1846. Oil on canvas, 260.2 x 316.9cm (9

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¨Art for art´s sake¨ means the art should be produced to be beautiful, rather than to serve a moral, allegorical, or other didactic purpose.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aestheticism

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Who were other artists in the movement, and how did their work reflect “art for art’s sake?” 

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Who were other artists in the movement, and how did their work reflect “art for art’s sake?” 

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Some of the artists of this movement were James Abbott, Dante Rossetti, Walter Peter, and Oscar Wilde. The Peacock Room is an example of aesthetic art as it is beautiful through its intricate designs. Walter Peter reflects aesthetic values through his writing about the Renaissance. He was the one who popularized the phrase "art for art's sake." Peter valued an intense inner life.

Painters like Moore, Whistler, and Leighton could concentrate entirely on creating exquisite compositions satisfying the senses. Because oil paints allow for subtle tonal changes, Aesthetic painters could use the medium to study color harmonies and tonal variety. Many artists, especially Whistler, also included Japanese motifs and aesthetics

https://www.theartstory.org/movement/aesthetic-art/

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The Aesthetic Movement took place in the late 19th century and involved a group of talented artists and writers known as the Aesthetes. The main idea of the movement was to create art to be beautiful, not to explain. These ideals ran opposite to the mainstream Victorian culture, as Victorians believed art should serve ethical purposes. Aesthetic art, fashion, and writing were less restrictive as they did not need to serve a purpose.

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How does The Importance of Being Earnest reflect the movement’s values?

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How does The Importance of Being Earnest reflect the movement’s values?

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The play can be considered beautiful even though it may not have a deeper central meaning. It doesn't have to teach a lesson.

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Satire is the use of humor or irony to expose or criticize people's stupidity or vices.

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Describe a modern example and its specific purpose.  

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Describe a modern example and its specific purpose.  

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Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update exposes the flaws of politics, entertainment, and current events.
https://www.readwritethink.org/sites/default/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson811/contemporary-examples.pdf

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What is a comedy of manners? What is its purpose?

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What is a comedy of manners? What is its purpose?

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Drama Australian Studies defines the comedy of manners as "a style of comedy that reflects the life, ideals and manners of upper class society in a way that is essentially true to its traditions and philosophy."
https://resource.acu.edu.au/trsanders/units/comedy/comedyofmanners.html

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What are characteristics of a comedy of manners?

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What are characteristics of a comedy of manners?

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- Exaggerated language
- Pokes fun at fashion and status
- Melodramatic plots
- Uses wit
- Emphasizes verbal comedy over physical comedy

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In 1895, when the play opened, what did people consider “trivial?” What did they consider “serious?” 

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In 1895, when the play opened, what did people consider “trivial?” What did they consider “serious?” 

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The Victorians valued appearances above all else. They had to dress nicely as well as act appropriately. Cursing was extremely taboo, and anything that could allude to something sexual was repressed. For example, the term "dark and white meat" when referring to parts of a chicken came during this time because using the words "breast or legs" was taboo. Candle snuffers were invented, so women didn't have to be seen pursing their lips which at the time was seen as sexual. The Victorian upper class paid so much attention to themselves that they didn't care about anything else happening in the lower class such as famine, disease, child labor, prostitution, etc. It all had to do with appearances.

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Victorian morality is a distillation of the moral views of people living during the time of Queen Victoria's reign (1837-1901), the Victorian era, and of the moral climate of Great Britain in the mid-19th century in general. The British sought to bring these values to the British Empire.

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What were their opinions regarding: employment, leisure, and wealth? 

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What were their opinions regarding: employment, leisure, and wealth? 

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Child labor was abolished during this era, but teenage prostitution was very common. The working class slowly got reform during the era through the passing of three reform bills. Work conditions were dangerous in factories for many workers. Leisure was one of the biggest changes during this era; blood sports were banned, and crowd sports such as cycling, horse racing, and rowing became popular. The wealthier would take vacations as a form of leisure. Football emerged as a national sport. Circuses became popular for people of all economic backgrounds. The upper class was small but powerful. Lords were a house of Parliament and heavily influenced bills that were passed.
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/past-pleasures/

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During Queen Victoria’s reign big changes took place in the way people spent their leisure time. Blood sports like bear baiting and cockfighting were banned. With the growth of the railways, people began to travel more and visiting the seaside became a popular pastime. But the railways also allowed…

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What were their opinions regarding: society, and education?

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What were their opinions regarding: society, and education?

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Young men of wealth were expected to go to higher education at schools like liberal public (private) schools such as preferably at Eton, Rugby, or Harrow. Rich women were assigned governesses' to learn how to read. Child labor was banned during this era, but there were still very few schools available for the commonwealth.
http://www.victoriaspast.com/FrontPorch/victorianera.htm

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What were their opinions regarding: marriage, family, morality?

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What were their opinions regarding: marriage, family, morality?

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Many married for economic and social status. Gender determined every aspect of an individual’s potential and character. Men were belonging to the public sphere while women belonged to the private home-life sphere. The perfect family during the time was in the image of Queen Victoria's family. Victorians were perfectionists and anything considered "out of line" in social conduct was healiy looked down upon and caused people to shunned. Women were considered to be naturally more religious and morally finer than men (who were distracted by sexual passions by which women supposedly were untroubled).  Men were meant to participate in politics and in paid work.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Victorian-era

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Date:

1820 - 1914

...(Show more)

Victorian era, in British history, the period between approximately 1820 and 1914, corresponding roughly but not exactly to the period of Queen Victoria's reign (1837-1901) and characterized by a class-based society, a growing number of people able to vote, a growing state and economy, and Britain's status as the most powerful empire in the world.

During the Victorian period, Britain was a powerful nation with a rich culture. It had a stable government, a growing state, and an expanding franchise. It also controlled a large empire, and it was wealthy, in part because of its degree of industrialization and its imperial holdings and in spite of the fact that three-fourths or more of its population was working-class. Late in the period, Britain began to decline as a global political and economic power relative to other major powers, particularly the United States, but this decline was not acutely noticeable until after World War II.

The Victorian stereotype and double standard

Today "Victorian" connotes a prudish refusal to admit the existence of sex, hypocritically combined with constant discussions of sex, thinly veiled as a series of warnings. There is some truth to both sides of this stereotype. Some few educated Victorians did write a lot about sex, including pornography, medical treatises, and psychological studies. Most others never talked about sex; respectable middle-class women in particular were proud of how little they knew about their own bodies and childbirth. In addition, Victorians lived with a sexual double standard that few ever questioned before the end of the period. According to that double standard, men wanted and needed sex, and women were free of sexual desire and submitted to sex only to please their husbands. These standards did not mesh with the reality of a society that featured prostitution, venereal disease, women with sexual desires, and men and women who felt same-sex desire, but they were important nonetheless.

Gender and class in Victorian society

Victorian society was organized hierarchically. While race, religion, region, and occupation were all meaningful aspects of identity and status, the main organizing principles of Victorian society were gender and class. As is suggested by the sexual double standard, gender was considered to be biologically based and to be determinative of almost every aspect of an individual's potential and character. Victorian gender ideology was premised on the "doctrine of separate spheres." This stated that men and women were different and meant for different things. Men were physically strong, while women were weak. For men sex was central, and for women reproduction was central. Men were independent, while women were dependent. Men belonged in the public sphere, while women belonged in the private sphere. Men were meant to participate in politics and in paid work, while women were meant to run households and raise families. Women were also thought to be naturally more religious and morally finer than men (who were distracted by sexual passions by which women supposedly were untroubled). While most working-class families could not live out the doctrine of separate spheres, because they could not survive on a single male wage, the ideology was influential across all classes.

Class was both economic and cultural and encompassed income, occupation, education, family structure, sexual behaviour, politics, and leisure activities. The working class, about 70 to 80 percent of the population, got its income from wages, with family incomes usually under £100 per annum. Many middle-class observers thought that working-class people imitated middle-class people as much as they could, but they were mistaken; working-class cultures (which varied by locality and other factors) were strong, specific, and premised on their own values. The middle class, which got its income (of £100 to £1,000 per annum) from salaries and profit, grew rapidly during the 19th century, from 15 to over 25 percent of the population. During the 19th century, members of the middle class were the moral leaders of society (they also achieved some political power). The very small and very wealthy upper class got its income (of £1,000 per annum or often much more) from property, rent, and interest. The upper class had titles, wealth, land, or all three; owned most of the land in Britain; and controlled local, national, and imperial politics.

Most Victorian Britons were Christian. The Anglican churches of England, Wales, and Ireland were the state churches (of which the monarch was the nominal head) and dominated the religious landscape (even though the majority of Welsh and Irish people were members of other churches). The Church of Scotland was Presbyterian. There was some religious diversity, as Britain also was home to other non-Anglican Protestants (notably Methodists), Roman Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and others (at the end of the period there were even a few atheists).

Alongside their faith, Victorians made and appreciated developments in science. The best-known Victorian scientific development is that of the theory of evolution. It is typically credited to Charles Darwin, but versions of it were developed by earlier thinkers as well, and the pseudoscience of eugenics was an ugly outgrowth of Victorian evolutionary theory. Victorians were also fascinated by the emerging discipline of psychology and by the physics of energy.

Government and politics in the Victorian era

The formal political system was a constitutional monarchy. It was in practice dominated by aristocratic men. The British constitution was (and is) unwritten and consists of a combination of written laws and unwritten conventions. At the national level, government consisted of the monarch and the two houses of Parliament, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The monarchs during this period were Queen Victoria (1837-1901), preceded by King George IV (1820-30) and King William IV (1830-37) and followed by King Edward VII (1901-10) and King George V (1910-36). During the Victorian period, the House of Commons became the centre of government, the House of Lords lost power (though it remained influential until the Parliament Act of 1911), and the monarchy transformed into a symbol of the nation. The House of Commons consisted of about 600 men called members of Parliament (MPs), who were elected to represent the counties and boroughs of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. England had many more representatives than the other three nations, by virtue of its status as first among these four equals, the product of tradition as well as its greater political power and wealth. The upper house, the House of Lords, was populated principally by several hundred noblemen who had life tenures. Members of both houses were wealthy men. Formal national politics was dominated by two major parties, the Liberal Party and the Conservative (or Tory) Party.

At the start of the period, MPs were elected by the half-million property-owning men (in a population of 21 million) who had the vote. In 1829 the vote was granted to Catholic men and in 1832, to most middle-class men; in 1867 and 1884 the franchise was extended to working-class men. Most women over age 30 got the right to vote in 1918. Full adult suffrage, with no property requirement, was achieved with the second Representation of the People Act (1928). This story of the expansion of the national electorate is important, but there is more to political participation than voting at the national level. Local politics were also important. And being denied a voice and access to institutions certainly did not render nonvoters indifferent to politics or to how power was wielded; they made their opinions on these known via demonstrations, petitions, and pamphlets.

Important political events during this period included the abolition of slavery in the British Empire; the expansions of the franchise; working-class political activism, most notably Chartism; the rise of liberalism as the dominant political ideology, especially of the middle class; and the nationalization of Conservative and Liberal parties (and the emergence of the British Labour Party in 1906). The growth of the state and state intervention were seen in major acts that limited hours for factory workers and miners, in public health acts, and in the provision of elementary education by the state. Political conflicts between Ireland and Britain and the rise of Irish nationalism were also hallmarks of the era, as were women's rights activism, which resulted in the Married Women's Property Acts, the repeal of the Contagious Diseases Acts, and the growth of education and employment options for women.

The Victorian British Empire

The Victorian British Empire dominated the globe, though its forms of rule and influence were uneven and diverse. The traffic of people and goods between Britain and its colonies was constant, complex, and multidirectional. Britain shaped the empire, the empire shaped Britain, and colonies shaped one another. British jobs abroad included civil and military service, missionary work, and infrastructure development. People from various imperial locations traveled to, studied in, and settled in Britain. Money, too, flowed both ways-the empire was a source of profit, and emigrants sent money home to Britain-as did goods such as jute, calico cotton cloth, and tea.

Dramatic expansion of the empire meant that such goods came to Britain from all over the world. Between 1820 and 1870 the empire grew, shifted its orientation eastward, and increased the number of nonwhite people over whom it exerted control. Much of this expansion involved violence, including the Indian Mutiny (1857-59), the Morant Bay Rebellion (1865) in Jamaica, the Opium Wars (1839-42, 1856-60) in China, and the Taranaki War (1860-61) in New Zealand. India became central to imperial status and wealth. There was significant migration to the settler colonies of Australia and New Zealand and later to Canada and South Africa. From 1870 until 1914 continued aggressive expansion (including Britain's participation in the so-called Scramble for Africa) was assisted by new technologies, including railways and telegraphy. Britain took control of large parts of Africa (including Egypt, Sudan, and Kenya), which together were home to about 30 percent of the African population. The same period also saw the start of anticolonial movements that demanded freedom from British domination in India and elsewhere. These would ultimately lead to decolonization after World War II.

The Victorian British economy

Britain's status as a world political power was bolstered by a strong economy, which grew rapidly between 1820 and 1873. This half-century of growth was followed by an economic depression and from 1896 until 1914 by a modest recovery. With the earliest phases of industrialization over by about 1840, the British economy expanded. Britain became the richest country in the world, but many people worked long hours in harsh conditions. Yet, overall, standards of living were rising. While the 1840s were a bad time for workers and the poor-they were dubbed "the hungry forties"-overall the trend was toward a less precarious life. Most families not only had a home and enough to eat but also had something leftover for alcohol, tobacco, and even vacations to the countryside or the seaside. Of course, some decades were times of plenty, others of want. Relative prosperity meant that Britain was a nation not only of shopkeepers but of shoppers (with the rise of the department store from mid-century transforming the shopping experience). Increased wealth, including higher real wages from the 1870s, meant that even working-class people could purchase discretionary items. Mass production meant that clothes, souvenirs, newspapers, and more were affordable to almost everyone.

Victorian culture and art

More access made British cultural products more important. Not only did they reveal much about the society from which they emerged, but during the Victorian period Britain was the cultural capital of the English-speaking world (including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand). Victorian performance and print culture were rich and varied, a blend of melodrama, spectacle, and morality.

Theatre thrived. Melodrama-which featured evil villains, virtuous heroines, and intricate plots-was the most important and most popular genre early on; later, sensation drama became popular. Even more popular were music halls, which featured varied programs of singing, dancing, sketches, and more; these emerged in the 1850s, and by the 1870s there were hundreds across Britain, some seating thousands of people. Music halls attracted people of all classes.

Print culture was also large and diverse, aided by relatively high literacy rates. There were hundreds of magazines and newspapers available at ever cheaper prices. The 1880s saw the emergence of "the New Journalism," which drew in readers with pieces on violent crimes and scandals in high society. Novels were another key feature of Victorian print culture. By mid-century, Britons of all classes could afford and read novels. Some were aimed at highly educated and well-off people, others at less-educated readers looking for appealing and exciting stories. Penny dreadfuls and sensation novels, seen at their best in the work of Wilkie Collins, thrilled their readers. Victorian novels were often quite long, with complicated plots (often centred on marriages) and many characters. Many, especially those by Charles Dickens, are still read today.
Susie Steinbach

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Victorian era | History, Society, & Culture

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Victorian era, the period between about 1820 and 1914, corresponding roughly to the period of Queen Victoria's reign (1837-1901) and characterized by a class-based society, a growing number of people able to vote, a growing state and economy, and Britain's status as the most powerful empire in the world.

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How did the Victorians define the word? 

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How did the Victorians define the word? 

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Victorians use the landed gentry, lack of physical labor definition, and kindness/chivalry definitions to define what it means to be a gentleman. They have several standards they need to upkeep in order to meet this definition, such as holding respectable and mannered conversation, look their very best and polished no matter what, and follow other Victorian etiquette standards.
https://victorian-era.org/victorian-era-gentleman.html

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During the Victorian era, when someone was called Victorian gentlemen, it meant that they did not need to work in order to earn money or perform any manual labour in order to live and survive. Also, this type of man was classified by owning their own land and having a particularly generous income.

A Victorian gentleman was also classified by a person who never inflicts pain to anyone. He has a helpful air about him who instead of doing things off of his own initiatives, supports their actions. He has several luxuries that emphasise and embody his gentleman-like nature.

Typical manners expected of a Victorian gentleman

Respect

The gentlemen ensure that they do not have a clash of opinions with others but strive to maintain a respectable and likeable reputation with those who know him and his family so will always stay away from any actions that will jolt in the perceptions of those who he knows. The gentleman of the Victorian era would, therefore, be sure to maintain his respectable nature and maintain a concern being to make everyone feel at ease when they talk to him.

Conversations

During conversations with those who accompany him, he would have his eyes on all of his company ensuring that he sustains his gentleness, mercifulness and tenderness towards all people no matter what they act like or who they are.

To many people's surprise, the gentleman was not meant to think too much of himself and be egotistical. Instead, he chose not to bring himself or matters concerning himself up in the day to day conversation. In fact, even if he was insulted by slander or gossip, this would still not spur him on to defend his reputation by a few rumours.

It definitely sounds like a hard task to be a Victorian gentleman but you can be sure that the men of this time day and age carried out their demeanour and grace wherever they went and whatever they did.

Appearance

He has a good reputation in his workplace and with the people he interacts with and as you can see by the image presented on the page, he was extremely well presented. Most likely did not have a hair out of place, his presentation was always to be kept at the upmost of appearances and regarded as extremely important. Not only to himself but to all of those who beheld his gentlemanlike manner and appearance.

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Victorian Era Gentleman's manners and etiquettes

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During the Victorian era, when someone was called Victorian gentlemen, it meant that they did not need to work in order to earn money or perform any manual labour in order to live and survive. Also, this type of man was classified by owning their own land and having a particularly generous income.

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Gentlemen today simply embody kindness and respectability, with most of the wealth and land-owning factors removed from previous definitions. https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/gentleman-what-it-means-today/#:~:text=A%20gentleman%20is%20courteous%2C%20polite,table%20manners%20and%20dining%20etiquette.

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You hear it everywhere these days: the term "gent" or "gentleman" has become ubiquitous in men's magazines, blogs, and conversations. Videos welcome "gentlemen" and everybody seems to use the word for a wide range of men.

A reader recently took us to task by saying that anything other than the traditional definition of a gentleman is a disappointment. Another claimed that a gentleman must have staff and would never cook for himself.

We couldn't disagree more - the definition of a gentleman has changed and for the better. Prince Phillip, a textbook "gentleman" of wealth and position, is also famous for his potty mouth and racist gaffes. Are these gentlemanly behaviors? Certainly not.

Since the definition of a gentleman is so fundamental to what the Gentleman's Gazette is, we thought it was time to outline how we see the gentleman today.

The Original Gentleman

A hundred years ago, a gentleman was a man of high social position and wealth. Even today dictionaries still retain this definition, as well as several others:

1. A chivalrous, courteous, or honorable man.

2. A polite or formal way of referring to a man.

3. A man of noble birth attached to a royal household

4. A man of good social position, especially one of wealth and leisure

5. A courteous title for a male fellow member of the House of Commons or the House of Representatives

So what does it really mean? There is much more to being a gentleman than mere courtesy; traditional acts of chivalry can come off as condescending, and "honor" is a highly relative concept.

These days, the title "gentleman" is no longer relevant as an indication of one's refinement and character, as it was once assumed to be for men of wealth and title who didn't have to work for a living.

In our opinion, the term is far more egalitarian, and these days, to say you are a gentleman means you have to earn it. Wealth and power are no longer enough, and in fact, they simply aren't a relevant part of the modern definition. Money and position can't buy you class or respect.

The Definition of a Modern Gentleman

The term is far more complicated, and we think it's important to shed some light on why and how we use it, and why the definition of the modern gentleman matters.

We firmly believe any man can be a gentleman if he wants to be, but it's not a small undertaking. It's a journey, something that a man continually strives to be, rather than a destination. A gentleman is:

1. A Gentleman is Imperfect. This may be the most important characteristic on the list. The term "gentleman" isn't meant to be an unattainable ideal; it takes into account basic human nature, in which we all make mistakes, choices, and judgments every day. The difference lies in that a gentleman does not believe himself to be perfect, but instead takes ownership and responsibility for the things he can control: his actions, knowledge, and approach to the world.

2. A Gentleman Has High Standards. High standards push people to do the best they can, and gentlemen set them for themselves. A gentleman expects a high standard of quality, value, and functionality from the things he buys to the things he does. He expects as much of himself as he does of other people.

3. A Gentleman is Well Dressed: This one shouldn't be a surprise. A well-dressed man is appropriately attired based on the season, the occasion, and his own style. Dressing well isn't a matter of money for a gentleman, but rather of careful curation of clothing and accessories based on his means, the occasion, and his tastes. His dress demonstrates that he recognizes the power of clothes the impression they make, and the role they play in society. Clothes are used to convey a gentleman's respect for his host, his office, or for the host of an event, but not to shock, evoke jealousy, or show off. Dressing well is a point of pride for a gentleman because it demonstrates his personality and taste.

4. : Here, we agree with the dictionary. A gentleman is courteous, polite, and respectful. He says please and thank you, waits his turn in line, and treats others as they wish to be treated. He is an equitable A Gentleman Has Good Manners conversation partner and displays good table manners and dining etiquette.

5. : A gentleman does not believe that his opinions and knowledge are complete and unquestionable. He strives to learn, is open to new ideas, accepts constructive criticism, and welcomes failure as a path to growth and self-awareness. A gentleman does not argue purely for the pleasure of being right but focuses on is able to put himself in other people's A Gentleman is Open Minded shoes for the purposes of understanding an alternate perspective from his own.

6. A Gentleman is Interesting and Informed: These days it is easy to get lost in the cycle of sleep-work-netflix-repeat that deprives people of anything interesting to say. An interesting man can successfully carry a conversation about a number of subjects, is interested in the world around him and how it works, and actively seeks to grow his knowledge for his own character building and enjoyment. Hobbies and personal interests reveal his passions and his engagement with activities that are meaningful to him.

7. A Gentleman's Actions Match His Words. Quite simply, a gentleman makes promises that he intends to keep.

8. A Gentleman Treats People with Respect: When we say people, we mean everyone - women, colleagues, superiors, waitstaff and customer service people. This reflects a gentleman's belief that all people are created equal; he does not claim to have more or fewer rights than those around him. He is compassionate with those less fortunate than himself. He doesn't believe that the world is a zero-sum game, nor does he believe that putting someone else down will lift him up.

9. A Gentleman Recognizes the Difference Between Arrogance and Confidence. If an arrogant man who believes himself to be of superior importance relies on his opinion of himself relative to others. A gentleman believes in himself and his abilities independently of other people. An arrogant man must always win to feel validated while a gentleman self-validates from within.

10. A Gentleman Wields Power Purposefully. Though there are many potential sources for the statement "with great power comes great responsibility," there is an inherent truth in it for a gentleman. If he is in a position of power, he combines all of the above traits to utilize that power purposefully and not selfishly. Not for revenge, not for his own personal gain, and not in a way that tramples the rights of others.

11. A Gentleman Gives People the Benefit of the Doubt. Even though it can be a challenge to avoid cynicism in a tough world, a gentleman chooses to give people the benefit of the doubt. The person who cut you off on the highway may have received bad news; a friend may not respond to your call because they are behind at work - a gentleman tries not to jump to negative conclusions about other people.

So why does this all matter? It matters because being a gentleman sets a high bar for men, us included, to actively work towards every day. Rather than being a destination, it's an aspiration that comes from the lifetime pursuit of personal betterment, self-awareness, and motivation.

The highest achievement is to be recognized as a gentleman by those around you, since at it's core it is an honor conferred only by other people. We use the term gentleman frequently, and we think it should mean something. It's not just a way to address other men; it's a statement about who we are and who we want to be.

The Challenges of Being a Gentleman in Everyday Life

While all of this sounds admirable, living up to those ideals day in and day out can become quite challenging at times. When a man is in a bad mood, stressed or tired, he may say or do things that are out of character. In those situations it is important to apologize to others and if it is sincere people will accept it. I know what I am talking about because I certainly had my fair share of ungentlemanly failures.

My personal daily, gentlemanly struggle occurs with emails, article comments, and YouTube comments. I started the Gentleman's Gazette because I wanted to share my passion for classic style to help men dress better through better information. At first, I eagerly replied to every email, comment or request personally like a gentleman would. Over time, more and more people found the way to our site, and it is no longer possible to reply to every comment and email personally. Of course, sometimes they are upset with us if we do not spend the time on them they think a gentleman would. In those cases, it feels very difficult not to reply because I want to, but without that discipline, it's impossible to keep the Gentleman's Gazette producing the articles, videos, products and emails that everyone enjoys. That aside, I try to give people the benefit of the doubt that they would understand if they knew.

What are your challenges of gentlemanly behavior in everyday life? Please share with us in the comments.

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You hear it everywhere these days: the term "gent" or "gentleman" has become ubiquitous in men's magazines, blogs, and conversations. Videos welcome "gentlemen" and everybody seems to use the word for a wide range of men. A reader recently took us to task by saying that anything other than the traditional definition of a gentleman is a disappointment.

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The gentleman has gone through various historical changes leading up to the modern definition we see today. Pre-Victorian era: medieval gentlemen upheld a code of ethics and were seen as "chavalrous, "the renaissance thought of the gentlemen as someone who embodies a good work ethic and was self made. Victorian era gentlemen combined the above with a strong emphasis of Christianity and male strength. With the rise of homosexuality, prostitution, and crime in gentlemen in the late 19th c, their reputation overall was tarnished. This, along with the overall lesser emphasis on manners and codes of conduct after the Victorian era lessened standards for the gentlemen.
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To have someone accompany you and look after you.

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What was the significance of a chaperone or a lady’s companion in Victorian society? 

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What was the significance of a chaperone or a lady’s companion in Victorian society? 

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An unmarried lady could not go anywhere without her chaperone, and couldn't be in public alone. It also showed that she was unmarried and available.

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What were the dangers for a young lady who was not chaperoned?

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What were the dangers for a young lady who was not chaperoned?

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- Their image could be ruined
- They could be seen as a danger to society because they disregard the rules

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What is a ward? In what circumstances does a person become a ward? Who selects the ward’s guardian, and what powers and responsibilities does the guardian have? How and when does a person cease to be a ward?

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What is a ward? In what circumstances does a person become a ward? Who selects the ward’s guardian, and what powers and responsibilities does the guardian have? How and when does a person cease to be a ward?

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-A person, typically a child, under guard or protection
-A child would become a ward if the parents died and the child was left. Someone would then become their guardian and take them as their own.
-A guardian was often a close relative, as suggested by common law, or the ward could choose their own guardian at a certain age.
-They were supposed to take care of the child, recover their property, but should not take any profit.
-A child ceased to be a ward when they came of age, or married