1. plural of gownsman; members of a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge, who wear or are entitled to wear an academic gown.
Usage: chiefly British; historical or formal
2. at Oxford and Cambridge universities, students or members of the university community, as distinguished from permanent residents of the town.
Usage: chiefly British; historical

Examples

• The gownsmen gathered in the college hall for the formal dinner.
• Historically, gownsmen at Cambridge were required to wear their academic robes in public.
• The distinction between gownsmen and townspeople was important in university life.
• Many gownsmen participated in the traditional procession.
• The gownsmen enjoyed privileges not extended to ordinary residents of the town.