knighthood

noun

knight·​hood ˈnīt-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce knighthood (audio)
1
: the rank, dignity, or profession of a knight
2
: the qualities befitting a knight : chivalry
3
: knights as a class or body

Examples of knighthood in a Sentence

The Queen awarded a knighthood to the famous actor. For their bravery, they were rewarded with knighthood.
Recent Examples on the Web Sir Thomas’s entry into knighthood began when a friend, already a knight, asked for his help with a castle-maintenance project. Daniel Foster, National Review, 30 Nov. 2023 McVey cites an air hockey competition with Jonathan Pryce, who plays Prince Philip, as a favorite behind-the-scenes memory — and says the star, who received a knighthood for his services to drama and charity in Queen Elizabeth's Birthday Honours List in 2021, won. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 5 Dec. 2023 Abroad, Britain festooned her in 2004 with the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) title, the nation’s second-highest order behind knighthood or damehood. Mayukh Sen, Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023 In it, a weird little punky girl with the power to assume any form comes to a formidable warrior (voiced by Riz Ahmed) on the verge of knighthood before being framed for killing the queen. Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023 Later on that evening at the Musée National Picasso-Paris, Anna Wintour, who is a dame as well as a French Knight of the Legion of Honor, presented Valli with his own knighthood for his contribution to the world of the arts. Allyson Portee, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Oct. 2023 Despite the knighthood, Thompson came up as something of an outsider. Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 1 Sep. 2023 And where Cavett was in his time a kind of rarefied taste, at least compared to other late-night interviewers, Parkinson, the son and grandson of miners, was a prime-time institution and national treasure, certified by a CBE and knighthood. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2023 King Charles was appointed to the Order in 1958, while Prince William received his Order of the Garter knighthood in 2008 — and his then-girlfriend Kate attended his first service as a member! Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 19 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'knighthood.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of knighthood was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near knighthood

Cite this Entry

“Knighthood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knighthood. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

knighthood

noun
knight·​hood ˈnīt-ˌhu̇d How to pronounce knighthood (audio)
1
: the rank, dignity, or profession of a knight
2
: the qualities that a knight should have
3
: knights as a class or body
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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