# ladies and gentlemen

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. Used as a vocative to address an audience.
2. Public toilets: a ladies' room and a gentlemen's room.

## Etymology
Around 1750, the form gentlemen and ladies was more common, but from 1770 the ladies-first word order predominates.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ladies-and-gentlemen