knight
noun
a mounted soldier serving under a feudal superior in the Middle Ages.
knight
1 American
[nahyt]
/ naɪt /
noun
-
knights
plural
-
a mounted soldier serving under a feudal superior in the Middle Ages.
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(in Europe in the Middle Ages) a man, usually of noble birth, who after an apprenticeship as page and squire was raised to honorable military rank and bound to chivalrous conduct.
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any person of a rank similar to that of the medieval knight.
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a man upon whom the nonhereditary dignity of knighthood is conferred by a sovereign because of personal merit or for services rendered to the country. In Great Britain he holds the rank next below that of a baronet, and the title Sir is prefixed to the Christian name, as in Sir John Smith.
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a member of any order or association that designates its members as knights.
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Chess. a piece shaped like a horse's head, moved one square vertically and then two squares horizontally or one square horizontally and two squares vertically.
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Nautical.
-
a short vertical timber having on its head a sheave through which running rigging is rove.
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any other fitting or erection bearing such a sheave.
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verb (used with object)
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knights,
present (3rd person singular)
-
knighted,
past participle, past
-
knighting
present participle
Knight
2
American
[nahyt]
/ naɪt /
noun
-
Eric, 1897–1943, U.S. novelist, born in England.
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Frank Hyneman 1885–1972, U.S. economist.
knight
1
British
/ naɪt /
noun
-
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(originally) a person who served his lord as a mounted and heavily armed soldier
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(later) a gentleman invested by a king or other lord with the military and social standing of this rank
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(in modern times) a person invested by a sovereign with a nonhereditary rank and dignity usually in recognition of personal services, achievements, etc. A British knight bears the title Sir placed before his name, as in Sir Winston Churchill
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a chess piece, usually shaped like a horse's head, that moves either two squares horizontally and one square vertically or one square horizontally and two squares vertically
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a heroic champion of a lady or of a cause or principle
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a member of the Roman class of the equites
verb
Knight
2
British
/ naɪt /
noun
knight
Cultural
Discover More
Over the centuries, knighthood gradually lost its military functions, but it has survived as a social distinction in Europe, especially in England.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
knightsimple
-
knightssimple
-
have knightedperfect
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has knightedperfect
-
am knightingprogressive
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are knightingprogressive
-
is knightingprogressive
-
have been knightingperfect progressive
-
has been knightingperfect progressive
Past
-
knightedsimple
-
had knightedperfect
-
was knightingprogressive
-
were knightingprogressive
-
had been knightingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of knight
before 900; Middle English; Old English cniht boy, manservant; cognate with German, Dutch knecht servant
Explanation
Traditionally the noun knight means someone born of the nobility and trained to fight, usually in heavy metal armor. If a king decides to knight you, that means the king wants to make you into a knight. Real life knights haven’t been around since the Middle Ages, which ended around 600 years ago. These days knight is an honorary title awarded by nations with royal families like the UK. These nations will knight anyone they think is deserving from a rock star to a politician. More casually, you can use knight to describe anyone who acts chivalrously, or bravely. If you are rescued from a burning building, you might call your rescuer, a "knight in shining armor."
Vocabulary lists containing knight
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Check It Out, Mate: Chess Vocabulary
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Medieval Europe - Introductory
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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:
“If I move my knight here, my opponent will move their rook here, and then I’ll have to…” This is an invaluable skill for life.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
But in June 2025, Sir Billy Boston became a rugby league knight - the first in the sport's 130-year history.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
Yet Mr. Cregger, in a script co-written with Shay Hatten, makes him a randomly selected single combatant dedicated to defending life—a knight among the living dead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Once considered a canny innovator, and then, with his purchase of the flailing Washington Post, a white knight, he has since become the embodiment of capitalism run amok.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
But Don Clavijo was only a knight, and Princess Antonomasia was the heir to the throne.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
The next Bond film is in development after it was announced last year that Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight would write the script.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
“One belief I’ve developed over my 20-plus years in the industry is this: Fear is an emotion. Risk is a reality. Discipline is a choice,” Knight said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
“Investors should periodically review concentrated positions starting at around 5% to make sure their portfolio remains aligned with their goals, risk tolerance and long-term financial plan,” Knight said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
"It is a very specific place," said Knight, who lives in the Pacific Northwest city.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
Next thing I know, Lanetta Gainer and Kayla Knight bust out of their chairs and start popping and locking and singing the song so loud, Tanisha can barely be heard on the microphone.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
For the unfamiliar, Anakin was a member of an order of space knights.
From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2026
“If Venice had sent just two ships of well-armed knights and experienced commanders,” Mr. Kaldellis suggests, “it would have made a world of difference.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
The report found 21 other royal post-holders, including 17 military knights, have accommodation without charge in the occupied palaces.
From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026
We’re obviously very thematically about fathers and sons, knights and squires, and, to a certain extent brothers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2026
It is empty of knights, empty of dragons, empty of swords and gauntlets.
From "The Sky at Our Feet" by Nadia Hashimi
He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2010.
From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026
In 1911, Casement was knighted by King George V for his humanitarian work - which took him from central Africa to some of the poorest parts of South America.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Now 50 years old, he lives and works in England, where he was born, raised and knighted, and the distance between Sir Demis Hassabis and Silicon Valley gives him a different perspective altogether.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
The traditionally working class, northern sport of rugby league had never had a representative knighted in 130 years, prompting claims of snobbery.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
He rode happily through the dry, flat land for a while, until he suddenly remembered he had not been properly knighted.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
With many outgoing prime ministers in their final days often rewarding or knighting members of their loyal staff, perhaps a chance to repair the relationship still remains.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2019
Yes, he was very sweet to Brienne, especially in that impromptu knighting ceremony, and yes, it was nice to see the Lannister brothers make up after letting Cersei come between them one too many times.
From Slate ● Apr. 22, 2019
It was only after she was told that people thought her insane that she backed down on knighting him in 1897, the year of her diamond jubilee.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 10, 2017
But if understood in the context of his career, Erickson’s white knighting becomes only superficially out of character.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2015
She said it as solemn as if she was a queen knighting me with words.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
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