Word of the Day

: October 7, 2021

cavalier

adjective kav-uh-LEER

What It Means

Cavalier means "having or showing no concern for important or serious matters."

// The company asks employees to watch informative videos on topics such as the dangers of being cavalier in sharing information with unverified emailers.

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cavalier in Context

"Another surprisingly common problem is grant applications that are poorly written. In some cases, poor writing can make your argument difficult to comprehend, and it certainly suggests a cavalier attitude to the process." — Michelle Havich, The American City & County (Atlanta, Georgia), 12 Aug. 2021

Did You Know?

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.