cavalier

1 of 2

adjective

cav·​a·​lier ˌka-və-ˈlir 

1

: marked by or given to offhand and often disdainful (see disdain entry 1) dismissal of important matters

a cavalier attitude toward money

has a cavalier disregard for the rights of others

2

: debonair

3

a

capitalized : of or relating to the party of Charles I of England in his struggles with the Puritans and Parliament

b

: aristocratic

portrayed the plantation owner as a cavalier fop

c

capitalized : of or relating to the English Cavalier poets of the mid-17th century

cavalierism

ˌka-və-ˈlir-ˌi-zəm 

noun

cavalierly adverb

cavalier

2 of 2

noun

1

: a gentleman trained in arms and horsemanship

2

: a mounted soldier : knight

3

capitalized : an adherent of Charles I of England

4

: a lady's escort or dancing partner : gallant

Did you know?

The Evolution of Cavalier

Mount up, fellow language caballeros! We think you’ll agree that the origins of cavalier make a great deal of horse sense. The noun cavalier—which traces back to the Late Latin word caballārius, meaning “horseback rider,” and even further to the Latin word for “work horse,” caballus—originally referred to a gentleman or knight trained in arms and horsemanship. The adjective trotted into English just a few decades after the noun, first describing those thought to embody qualities of gallantry and suaveness associated with such soldiers. However, the English Puritans later applied the noun with disdain to their adversaries, the swashbuckling royalist followers of Charles I, who sported longish hair and swords. Their use undoubtedly contributed to the adjective’s “flippant” sense, which is now the most common. To saddle someone (or their behavior, attitude, etc.) with the descriptor today is to say that they do not demonstrate the expected or required care for serious matters.

Synonyms

Adjective

• arrogant
• assumptive
• bumptious
• chesty
• haughty
• high-and-mighty
• high-handed
• high-hat
• highfalutin
• hifalutin
• huffish
• huffy
• imperious
• important
• lofty
• lordly
• masterful
• overweening
• peremptory
• pompous
• presuming
• presumptuous
• pretentious
• self-asserting
• self-assertive
• sniffy
• stiff-necked
• supercilious
• superior
• toplofty
• toploftical
• uppish
• uppity

Noun

• gentleman

Examples of cavalier in a Sentence

Adjective

They are too cavalier in their treatment of others.

She has a cavalier attitude about spending money.

He has a cavalier disregard for the rights of others.

Noun

a novel about the dashing cavaliers and gracious ladies of the South before the Civil War

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

If Thompson were the CEO of a toy company, would the public have been so cavalier about the loss of life? —Dr. Marcus Collins, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

Pundits and analysts can afford to be cavalier about it; U.S. policymakers with actual responsibility on their shoulders can't. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024

Noun

The event kicked off with an opening dance, before the debutantes lined up for a waltz with their fathers, who were then passed onto their cavaliers for dancing with a live band. —Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 1 Dec. 2024

Opal is described as a 5-pound red/brown cavapoo — a mix of a King Charles cavalier and a poodle. —Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

from attributive use of cavalier entry 2

Noun

borrowed from French, "horseback rider, member of the gentry bearing arms, gallant," going back to Middle French, borrowed from later medieval Italian cavallere, cavaleru, cavalliere "horseback rider, mounted soldier, courtly gentleman accompanying a lady," borrowed from Old Occitan cavalier "horseman, mounted soldier, knight," going back to Late Latin caballārius "horseback rider, groom" (early Medieval Latin also "serf performing duties on horseback, mounted soldier"), from Latin caballus "work horse, gelding" + -ārius -ary entry 1 — more at cavalcade

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1641, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

cavalier

1 of 2 noun

cav·​a·​lier ˌkav-ə-ˈli(ə)r 

1

: a mounted soldier : knight

2

: a brave and courteous gentleman

cavalier

2 of 2 adjective

1

: lighthearted and charming in manner

2

: having an unconcerned or disdainful attitude about important matters

cavalierly adverb

cavalierness noun

Etymology

Noun

from early French cavalier "cavalier," from early Italian cavaliere (same meaning), derived from Latin caballarius "horseman," from earlier caballus "horse" — related to cavalry, chivalry see Word History at chivalry