Word
goodman
Phoneticsgood·man
US/ˈɡʊdmən/
UK/ɡˈʊdmən/
Definition
n. an old-fashioned word for the male head of a house or a husband. It was used long ago as a polite title for a man who was not a member of the upper class.
n. the male head of a household or a husband. Historically used as a title of address for a man of social standing below that of a gentleman.
Examples
“The goodman of the house welcomed the travelers into his kitchen.”
“In many old stories, the goodman works the fields while his wife manages the cottage.”
“The archival records identify him as a goodman, indicating he held a respectable position in the village hierarchy without belonging to the landed gentry.”
Examples
simple
“The goodman of the house welcomed the travelers into his kitchen.”
contextual
“In many old stories, the goodman works the fields while his wife manages the cottage.”
complex
“The archival records identify him as a goodman, indicating he held a respectable position in the village hierarchy without belonging to the landed gentry.”
Usage
Archaic in register; primarily encountered in historical literature, folk tales, or legal documents from the early modern period.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/goodman