cavalier
noun
a horseman, especially a mounted soldier; knight.
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cavaliered.
cavalier
American
[kav-uh-leer, kav-uh-leer]
/ ˌkæv əˈlɪər, ˈkæv əˌlɪər /
noun
-
cavaliers
plural
-
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
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offhand or unceremonious.
The very dignified officials were confused by his cavalier manner.
-
(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)
-
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
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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.
See Examples For:
Delivering his verdicts, Judge Smith criticised the company's "cavalier" and "careless" approach to the accreditation process, which would allow it to conduct testing.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 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
Travolta’s never been cavalier about his passion for flying and aeronautics, but rarely has he spoken as candidly about the source of that love as he does in “Propeller One-Way Night Coach.”
From Salon ● Jun. 10, 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
The Popinjay Cavalier, set in 1830s Europe, was announced earlier this year and is the first play to be written for stage by the US filmmaker, who is also set to direct.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
The one-bedroom has enough space to store her bike and for Lottie, her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, to run around.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
My daughter is a Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Clover, and for the past couple of months, she’s had clipped to her collar an A.I. communication device known as the PetPhone.
From Slate ● Jun. 20, 2026
When police opened the roll-up door, they found 21 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels confined inside, several of which were pregnant.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026
Travis parked his red Ford pickup behind Dill’s mom’s Chevy Cavalier.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
She was at Westminster on Monday to show one of her cavaliers, named Hope.
From Seattle Times ● May 8, 2023
So the BBC Radio 4's Today programme debate on "Do We Need a Monarchy?" offered snapshots into these competing world views, serving up a pundits' version of roundheads versus cavaliers.
From BBC ● Apr. 26, 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
Bored of these women, bored of these cavaliers who masqueraded as companions, bored of everything.
From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas
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