An informal way to say 'gentleman' or 'man,' sometimes used as a casual way to address or refer to someone.
Short for 'gentleman,' which comes from 'gentle' (well-born) plus 'man.' Originally referred to nobility or the upper class, but by the 1900s it became casual slang.
The word 'gent' shows how language changes over time — it started as a mark of high social status meaning 'nobleman,' but now it's just casual slang, like how 'awesome' used to mean 'inspiring awe and terror' but now just means 'cool!'
'Gentleman' historically denoted social status and virtue tied to maleness and class. 'Gent' as informal shorthand still carries assumptions that courtesy/refinement correlate with masculinity.
Use 'person,' 'individual,' or specific descriptors of character. If referring to a man, 'man' suffices; courteous behavior is not gendered.
["person","individual","man"]
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