A gentlewoman is a woman from a respectable family with good manners, education, and social standing. In historical contexts, especially in England and colonial America, a gentlewoman came from the upper classes but wasn't necessarily nobility. She might be the daughter of a successful merchant, a landowner, or a professional like a lawyer or doctor.

The word suggests wealth combined with education, refined speech, and graceful conduct. A gentlewoman was expected to be educated, well-spoken, and to conduct herself with grace and dignity. In novels from the 1800s, you'll often find characters described as gentlewomen: women who could read and write well, manage a household, and navigate social situations with courtesy and confidence.

Today the word sounds old-fashioned, though you might still encounter it in historical fiction or when someone wants to emphasize both good breeding and good character. The male equivalent is gentleman, which is still used more commonly. When someone calls a woman a gentlewoman now, they usually mean she carries herself with exceptional courtesy, dignity, and refinement.