English → Latin
“gentleman” in Latin
ingenuusnatural, indigenous; free-born, freeborn, of free birth; noble, upright, frank, candid, ingenuousbonusgood, honest, brave, noble, kind, pleasant; right; usefulfortisstrong, powerful; firm, resolute, steadfast, stout; courageous, braveprobusgood, serviceable, excellent, superior, able; upright, honest, virtuous, moral, proven
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
gentleman
With reference to birth, ingenuus: honesto loco natus (of good birth). To be brought up as a gentleman, ingenue educari. A simple gentleman, nihil ultra quam ingenuus (Liv., 8, 10). A gentleman by birth, honestis parentibus or honesto loco natus.
With reference to breeding and sentiment, homo ingenuus et liberaliter educatus: educatus ingenue: vir humanitate politus. ☞ The word being used vaguely, according to the speaker’s view of the gentlemanly character, must be translated with reference to the particular quality implied; vir liberalis: bonus, fortis, magno animo praeditus (all Cic., Rep., 1, 5, of persons), probus, etc. (Anybody is) no gentleman, homo politioris humanitatis expers. A gentleman ought to, etc., est hominis ingenui, liberaliter educati, with infinitive, etc. (Cic.). The education of a gentleman, liberales disciplinae (Quint., 12, 7, 8). A young gentleman, puer (adolescens, etc.) ingenuus, or honesto loco natus: to play the fine gentleman, valde jam lautum esse: you are a fine gentleman forsooth, not to condescend to write to me, valde jam lautus es, qui gravere litteras ad me dare (Cic., Fam., 7, 14, 1).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for gentleman?
- The usual Latin words for “gentleman” are ingenuus, bonus, fortis; also probus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.