courtier

[ kawr-tee-er, kohr- ]

/ ˈkɔr ti ər, ˈkoʊr- /

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See synonyms for: courtier / courtiers on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who is often in attendance at the court of a king or other royal personage.

a person who seeks favor by flattery, charm, etc.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of courtier

1250–1300; Middle English courteour<Anglo-French courte(i)our, equivalent to Old French cortoy(er) to attend at court (derivative of courtcourt) + Anglo-French -our<Latin -ōr--or²; suffix later conformed to -ier¹

OTHER WORDS FROM courtier

un·der·cour·ti·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use courtier in a sentence

But then the courtiers and her son Edward, the new King Edward VIII (himself a notoriously debauched figure), began cleaning up.
Queen Victoria’s Secret Scottish Sex Castle|Clive Irving|August 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The courtiers were an effete and in some cases epicene crew.
Queen Victoria’s Secret Scottish Sex Castle|Clive Irving|August 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Avoid war; don't trust flatterers, courtiers and ministers; and most importantly 'retrieve the glory of the Throne'.
How To Be a King, Circa 1749|Tom Sykes|February 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
More surprising still, the spirit addressed the courtiers by their real names.
How Queen Victoria's Affection For John Brown Sprang From His Contact With Dead Albert's Shade|Tom Sykes|June 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST

In truth there was little else for him and other senior courtiers to do.
Why Kate Won’t be Getting Get A Nanny (Although a Maternity Nurse Could Be on the Cards)|Tom Sykes|December 3, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He made the acquaintance of some courtiers, who felt or affected an interest in learning and in learned men.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
In France many kinds became popular from the fact of their use at court, and by the courtiers throughout the kingdom.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
You are only an honest countryman wandering amid a crowd of courtiers—virtue in danger amid a myriad of vices.
Madame Roland, Makers of History|John S. C. Abbott
Sometimes he shut himself up in an inner chamber from the eyes of his courtiers.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay
But he was the very opposite of the vulgar crowd of courtiers who fawn on a master while they betray him.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay

British Dictionary definitions for courtier

courtier

/ (ˈkɔːtɪə) /

noun

an attendant at a court

a person who seeks favour in an ingratiating manner

Word Origin for courtier

C13: from Anglo-French courteour (unattested), from Old French corteier to attend at court

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

courtier

Origin of courtier

OTHER WORDS FROM courtier

Words related to courtier

How to use courtier in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for courtier

Word Origin for courtier