ENGLISH
REFERENCE

goodman

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US //ˈɡʊdmən// UK //ɡˈʊdmən// good·man Archaic

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.


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.

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