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Synonyms

gallantry

American  
[gal-uhn-tree] / ˈgæl ən tri /

noun

plural

gallantries

  1. dashing courage; heroic bravery; noble-minded behavior.

    Synonyms:
    heroism, valor, daring
    Antonyms:
    cowardice

  2. gallant or courtly attention to women.

    Synonyms:
    courtliness, chivalry

  3. a gallant act, action, or speech.

gallantry British  
/ ˈɡæləntrɪ /

noun

  1. conspicuous courage, esp in war

    the gallantry of the troops

  2. polite attentiveness to women

  3. a gallant action, speech, etc

"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

Etymology

Origin of gallantry

1600–10; < Middle French galanterie, equivalent to Old French galant ( gallant ) + -erie -ry

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.

Roberts-Smith won the Victoria Cross -- Australia's highest military honour -- for "conspicuous gallantry" in Afghanistan while on the hunt for a senior Taliban commander.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

When someone’s smart we say he has brains and if he’s brave he has guts, but gallantry isn’t assigned a human part and so must be a thing of the soul.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 1, 2026

The George Medal is Britain's second-highest civilian bravery award after the George Cross, and is given for "conspicuous gallantry not in the presence of the enemy".

From BBC • Oct. 6, 2025

Corporal Sidney Bates posthumously received Britain's Victoria Cross for "supreme gallantry" after repeatedly charging a critical German position with a light machine gun before dying of his wounds.

From Reuters • Nov. 12, 2023

As she staggered with the bus’s movement my lack of gallantry tormented me.

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin

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.