chivalry
Americannoun
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the sum of the ideal qualifications of a knight, including courtesy, generosity, valor, and dexterity in arms.
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the rules and customs of medieval knighthood.
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the medieval system or institution of knighthood.
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a group of knights.
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gallant warriors or gentlemen.
fair ladies and noble chivalry.
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Archaic. a chivalrous act; gallant deed.
noun
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the combination of qualities expected of an ideal knight, esp courage, honour, justice, and a readiness to help the weak
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courteous behaviour, esp towards women
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the medieval system and principles of knighthood
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knights, noblemen, etc, collectively
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of chivalry
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English chivalrie, from Anglo-French, Old French chevalerie, from chevalier chevalier + -ie -y 3
Explanation
Men behaving courteously toward women — holding the door for them, offering them their jackets when it's cold — is called chivalry. Many women consider chivalry a lost art. Nice work, fellas. Cavalry (soldiers on horseback) and chivalry have the same root: the Medieval Latin word caballarius, meaning "horseman" or "knight." In the Middle Ages, a knight was expected to be brave, loyal, and to open the tavern door for his date. Picture a knight kneeling before a maiden and kissing her hand. It's a classic image of chivalry from the storybooks. Some women wonder whether chivalry has ever existed anywhere else.
Vocabulary lists containing chivalry
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
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The Magician's Nephew
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Chivalry is not dead even if the battery still was!
From Seattle Times • Jan. 29, 2023
Dating back almost 700 years, the order is the oldest and most senior Order of Chivalry in Britain.
From New York Times • Jan. 4, 2022
In her essential book "Behind the Mask of Chivalry," historian Nancy MacLean offers these insights into the South's lynching culture, the Ku Klux Klan, and dynamics of race and gender:
From Salon • Sep. 7, 2021
Chivalry in the Seven Kingdoms isn't quite what you'd think.
From BBC • May 18, 2019
His Table, his idea of Chivalry, his Holy Grail, his devotion to Justice: these had been progressive steps in the effort for which he had been bred.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
