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

The adjective cavalier comes from a noun referring to a gentleman or knight who is trained in arms and horsemanship. The noun traces back to Latin caballārius, meaning "horseback rider" or "groom." It is also used for "a swaggering fellow," and English Puritans used it disdainfully to their adversaries, the swashbuckling royalist followers of Charles I, who sported longish hair and swords. Their use undoubtedly contributed to the adjective's reference to a rather unbecoming quality.

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 the claim succeeds, Musk could be compelled to hand back some of his fortune and potentially to reconsider his cavalier view of legal threats. —Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2023

Fowler-Nicolosi has been a little too cavalier with some of his throws, which explain why the Rams lead the nation in interceptions (15). —Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2023

The short answer is a combination of free code shared online, a vast array of public photos, academic papers explaining how to put it all together and a cavalier attitude toward laws governing privacy. —Kashmir Hill, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2023

Stephanie Grisham, a veteran of Arizona politics who served as press secretary for then-President Donald Trump, became the most recent of his administration's alumni to highlight his cavalier treatment of classified information. —Allie Feinberg, The Arizona Republic, 4 July 2023

The blithely destructive force of wealth, abetted by the crushingly cavalier power of law enforcement, are at the dramatic center of film after film, and much of Chaplin’s comedy mocks the honored emblems of respectable society. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 28 July 2023

Musk is already unpopular with the SEC and other federal agencies for his cavalier attitude toward corporate governance, and his constant trolling on social media. —Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 27 July 2023

Behind the billboards, promises of onyx troves and cavalier marketing tactics lay a complex web of lawsuits, violence and tragedy. —Eliza McGraw, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 July 2023

Thomas wins his argument not by trenchant critique but by cavalier fiat. —Stephen Siegel, The New Republic, 21 July 2023

Noun

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, having become a powerful immortal necromancer, or Lyctor, at the cost of her cavalier’s life, is fighting battles on several fronts. —New York Times, 25 Nov. 2020

The refined sensibilities of his hippos stand in touching contrast to their obvious tonnage, and his pen line — though never forgetting their impossible weight and size — endows them with the grace and airiness of a ballerina and her cavalier. —Amy Bloom, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2018

Ian Hussey as her cavalier was dashing, his soloing and partnering both solid. —Ellen Dunkel, Philly.com, 10 Dec. 2017

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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