Word
gents
US/ˈdʒɛnts/
UK/dʒˈɛnts/
Plural noun
Definition
n. a polite or slightly funny way to say 'men'. You also use it to talk about a public toilet for men.
n. a colloquial shortening of 'gentlemen', used as a collective address or to refer to a male public lavatory.
Examples
“The gents are over there by the entrance.”
“He excused himself from the table to visit the gents before the main course arrived.”
Examples
simple
“The gents are over there by the entrance.”
contextual
“He excused himself from the table to visit the gents before the main course arrived.”
Usage
Pluralia tantum when referring to the toilet facility; takes plural verb agreement ('The gents are closed').
Pitfall
Where is the gent?
Where are the gents?
When referring to the bathroom, the word is always plural and requires a plural verb.
Etymology
A clipped form of gentlemen. As a room, via misspelling of gents', a clipped form of gentlemen's room.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/gents