近代社会常将“绅界”与官界、学界、商界并称,把它划分为最基本的社会集团。但何谓绅士?史学界尚无一致的看法,因此,探讨绅士的内涵和指属范围,使其成为严格的学术概念,很有必要。一绅士或士绅,亦称绅衿,是同一个社会存在对象的不同称谓。绅士与绅衿是经常交替使用的概念: 为官不接见绅衿,甚属偏见。地方利弊,生民休戚,非咨访绅士不能周知。从文字本身看,绅、衿、士各有不同。绅指绅带,其引申义为“束绅之士”,即“(扌晋)绅之士者,(扌晋)笏而垂绅带也”。衿指青衿,是古代衣服的交领,后来成为“生员”的服 Modern society often “gentry community” and the official circles, academics and business circles, put it divided into the most basic social groups. But what is a gentleman? There is no consistent view in the historiography. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the connotation and scope of the gentleman and make it a strict academic concept. A gentleman or gentry, also known as gentry, is a different title of the same object of social existence. Gentlemen and gentry are concepts that are often used interchangeably: it is a prejudice for officials not to meet with gentry. Local pros and cons, live and work, non-advisory gentleman can not be known. Judging from the text itself, gentry, emperor and scholars have different opinions. Gentry refers to the gentry belt, which is extended to mean “gentry people”, that is, “(扌 Jin) gentry of the people, (扌 Jin) Wat and the gentry belt also.” Pointed green barley, is the ancient clothes of the cross, and later became a “health officer” service