gallantry

noun gal·lant·ry \ ˈga-lən-trē \

Definition of gallantry

plural gallantries

1 archaic :gallant appearance

2 a :an act of marked courtesy

b :courteous attention to a lady

c :amorous attention or pursuit

3 :spirited and conspicuous bravery

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See gallantry defined for kids

Examples of gallantry in a Sentence

Many women were charmed by his old-fashioned gallantry.
commended the rescuers for their gallantry

Recent Examples of gallantry from the Web

Mueller, 72, earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star with Valor for his gallantry in Vietnam before devoting most of the rest of his life to public service.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Prospect of Trump firing Mueller keeps becoming more untenable," 16 June 2017
Philip, a simmering stew of gallantry and pheromones; and Rachel, grateful and circumspect, either a tragic widow or something far more sinister.

— christopher orr, The Atlantic, "The Disappointments of My Cousin Rachel," 9 June 2017
Leavitt received a Silver Star Medal for his gallantry that day, but lost it when his house burned down several years ago.

— denise coffey, Courant Community, "Korean War Veteran Honored With Silver Star Medal," 6 June 2017
Andrew has since been awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in battle.

— alana abramson, Time, "Read President Trump's Memorial Day Remarks," 29 May 2017
He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for gallantry.

— guest columnist/cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "A salute to heroes on Memorial Day: Linda Kramer (Opinion)," 21 May 2017
This is a Britain born of mud and blood, not of gallantry and lofty ideals.

— todd mccarthy, The Hollywood Reporter, "'King Arthur: Legend of the Sword': Film Review," 9 May 2017
Bad behavior almost always has an identifiable origin, and Trump’s extreme lack of gallantry may well be evidence of real neglect or abuse as a child.

— sebastian junger, The Hive, "How Donald Trump Could Stop Being a Coward," 25 Apr. 2017
Joseph Engles was presented with the military distinction on Monday during a ceremony in his hometown of Murrieta, in Southern California, for gallantry in the face of the enemy during the Battle of Suoi Tre in March 1967.

— Orange County Register, "Army vet awarded Bronze Star for bravery in Vietnam battle," 25 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gallantry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of gallantry

borrowed from French galanterie, from galant ²gallant + -erie -ery

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First Known Use: 1613

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gallantry Synonyms

GALLANTRY Defined for English Language Learners

gallantry

noun

Definition of gallantry for English Language Learners

: very brave behavior
: polite attention shown by a man to a woman

GALLANTRY Defined for Kids

gallantry

noun gal·lant·ry \ ˈga-lən-trē \

Definition of gallantry for Students

1 :courageous behavior :bravery He showed gallantry in battle.

2 :polite attention shown to women

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