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• cavalier
  cavalier

  noun

  a horseman, especially a mounted soldier; knight.
• Cavalier
  Cavalier

  noun

  a supporter of Charles I during the English Civil War Compare Roundhead

cavalier

American  

[kav-uh-leer, kav-uh-leer] / ˌkæv əˈlɪər, ˈkæv əˌlɪər /

noun

• cavaliers
  plural

1. a horseman, especially a mounted soldier; knight.

2. one having the spirit or bearing of a knight; a courtly gentleman; gallant.

3. a man escorting a woman or acting as her partner in dancing.

4. (initial capital letter) an adherent of Charles I of England in his contest with Parliament.

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adjective

1. haughty, disdainful, or supercilious.

   an arrogant and cavalier attitude toward others.

   Synonyms:

   condescending, thoughtless, uncaring, offhand, indifferent

2. offhand or unceremonious.

   The very dignified officials were confused by his cavalier manner.

3. (initial capital letter) of or relating to the Cavaliers.

4. (initial capital letter) of, relating to, or characteristic of the Cavalier poets or their work.

verb (used without object)

1. to play the cavalier.

2. to be haughty or domineering.

cavalier ¹ British  

/ ˌkævəˈlɪə /

adjective

1. showing haughty disregard; offhand

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noun

1. a gallant or courtly gentleman, esp one acting as a lady's escort

2. archaic a horseman, esp one who is armed

Cavalier ² British  

/ ˌkævəˈlɪə /

noun

1. a supporter of Charles I during the English Civil War Compare Roundhead

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cavalierism
  noun
• cavalierness
  noun
• uncavalier
  adjective
• cavalierly
  adverb
• uncavalierly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cavaliers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cavalier

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Middle French: “horseman, knight,” from Old Italian cavaliere, from Old Provençal, from Late Latin caballārius “man on horseback,” equivalent to Latin caball(us) “horse” ( cf. capercaillie) + -ārius -ary

Explanation

Someone who is cavalier has a dismissive attitude and regards other people as inferior. If you think you know more than your teacher and never bother doing homework, your parents might complain that you are cavalier about your studies. The word cavalier dates from mid-16th-century French, from the Latin caballus, meaning “horse.” If you have a cavalier attitude, you look down on other people — as if you are sitting on a very tall horse and other people are sitting down there on the ground.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cavalier Cavalier cavaliers

She isn't cavalier enough to jettison everything, though: Both 7 Rings and her Lady Gaga duet Rain On Me raise the roof.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Much of the world still thinks of Latin American organized crime in terms of cut-throat cocaine cartels and cavalier capos like Pablo Escobar.

From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026

In columns and on TV, he warns that Hegseth’s cavalier attitude toward the rule of law and civilian protections is corroding military professionalism.

From Salon ● Mar. 11, 2026

Oh, you want me to become a cavalier, because this is still the most prestigious role in the army?

From Slate ● Mar. 2, 2026

He's so smug with his half explanations, and so cavalier about the fact that he's dragged me into this.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

At 15 he decided he wanted something fun, so he paid $3,000 for a 1989 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24—a sporty version of Chevy’s boxy compact car.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

The Popinjay Cavalier will be Tarantino's debut as a theatre writer and director, after previously speaking about his desire to retire from movies after making 10 films.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

The situations now and in 2022 are "very different", Oddo BHF economist Bruno Cavalier said.

From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026

The future looks bright for Larchmont Charter freshman Avery Cavalier, who won the Division V girls’ race in 20:45.50 despite being new to the sport.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025

Linton and Judge Willmore pressed him on whether he could be indigent if he just bought the Chevy Cavalier.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

She said her cavaliers “saved our life” after she and her husband lost two sons, 17-year-old Matthew in a 2001 car crash and 36-year-old Scott, who had multiple disabilities, in 2010.

From Seattle Times ● May 8, 2023

He wished that his knights for the battle would thirst, But his “brave” cavaliers were, quite simply, The Worst.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 21, 2022

For instance, in the Waltz of the Flowers, the four cavaliers, suited up hilariously as tuxedoed bumblebees, toss the ballerinas in quick succession, avoiding airborne collisions by seconds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2015

The idiom is organized in terms of chivalry around female glory: men in black tunics and tights serve principally as cavaliers and as background to women who are resplendent in white tutus.

From New York Times ● May 22, 2013

The only ones who even irritated him were the cavaliers, the high-bred, feathery, courtly ones who spoke like Englishmen and treated a man like dirt.

From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara

Related Words

• condescending
• curt
• disdainful
• haughty
• offhand
• supercilious