cavalier
noun
a horseman, especially a mounted soldier; knight.
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cavalier
American
[kav-uh-leer, kav-uh-leer]
/ ˌkæv əˈlɪər, ˈkæv əˌlɪər /
noun
-
a horseman, especially a mounted soldier; knight.
-
one having the spirit or bearing of a knight; a courtly gentleman; gallant.
-
a man escorting a woman or acting as her partner in dancing.
-
(initial capital letter) an adherent of Charles I of England in his contest with Parliament.
adjective
-
haughty, disdainful, or supercilious.
an arrogant and cavalier attitude toward others.
- Synonyms:
- condescending, thoughtless, uncaring, offhand, indifferent
-
offhand or unceremonious.
The very dignified officials were confused by his cavalier manner.
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(initial capital letter) of or relating to the Cavaliers.
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(initial capital letter) of, relating to, or characteristic of the Cavalier poets or their work.
verb (used without object)
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to play the cavalier.
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to be haughty or domineering.
cavalier
1
British
/ ˌkævəˈlɪə /
adjective
noun
-
a gallant or courtly gentleman, esp one acting as a lady's escort
-
archaic a horseman, esp one who is armed
Cavalier
2
British
/ ˌkævəˈlɪə /
noun
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing cavalier
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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.
This year he has brought two Bernese, a Border Collie, a Pomeranian and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026
Elvira is one of Oliver Cromwell’s Puritans and Arturo a Cavalier, a supporter of the Stuart royal family.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026
Messi was rested for three Miami games before coming off the bench and scoring in last week's Concacaf Champions Cup win at Jamaican side Cavalier.
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2025
Bozy, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, almost didn’t make it a year.
From Slate • Aug. 11, 2024
Cavalier d’Épées it reads in fancy script at the bottom of the card.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
