chivalrous
Americanadjective
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having the qualities of chivalry, as courage, courtesy, and loyalty.
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considerate and courteous to women; gallant.
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gracious and honorable toward an enemy, especially a defeated one, and toward the weak or poor.
adjective
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gallant; courteous
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involving chivalry
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of chivalrous
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English chevalrous, from Middle French chevalerous, equivalent to chevalier chevalier + -ous -ous
Explanation
A person who is courteous and attentive can be described as chivalrous: “The chivalrous stranger picked up the packages Veronica dropped and held the door open while she entered the apartment building.” The word chivalrous originally described gallantry, valor, honor, and courtesy, associated with the medieval code of knighthood. Medieval knights are no longer with us, but chivalrous has survived in modern usage, usually to describe a man — or a behavior — showing courtesy or attentiveness toward women. So the guy holding the door open for you with a flourish may or may not be your “knight in shining armor," but his chivalrous act gives him something in common with the medieval knights of lore.
Vocabulary lists containing chivalrous
The Call of the Wild
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National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 3
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Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
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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.
Mr. Pence is courtly, and chivalrous perhaps to a fault.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
That's one of the things that struck me about it, this very old-timey chivalrous idea.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2024
Now, scientists have observed a pair of chivalrous birds joining the conversation.
From Science Magazine ● Mar. 25, 2024
Kelce said on Wednesday’s podcast episode that on dates, he’s all about playing his chivalrous gender role, keeping an eye out for his companion while out in public.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2023
The chivalrous puffin lost himself in imagining his heroic death, unaware that the great black-backed gull had descended from the sky.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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.
