courtier

noun

cour·​tier ˈkȯr-tē-ər How to pronounce courtier (audio)
ˈkȯrt-yər,
ˈkȯr-chər
1
: one in attendance at a royal court
2
: one who practices flattery

Examples of courtier in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But its focus remained on the work that made Navalny famous in Russia: investigating acts of corruption within the elite, exposing the yachts and villas that Putin’s courtiers tried to hide around the world. Simon Shuster / Vilnius, TIME, 17 Apr. 2024 The couple usually run a tight media ship, even advertising last year for a CEO to run their operations — a novelty in the more old-fashioned royal family that has traditionally relied heavily on courtiers. Alexander Smith, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2024 The Duke of Edinburgh died one month before his 100th birthday, and COVID restrictions even changed how courtiers communicated the news. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024 The poet, a courtier named Yukihira, was a provincial governor who, by some accounts, was exiled to Suma Bay, a famous stretch of coastline in western Japan. Paul S. Atkins, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2024 Princess Anne walked into a room where King Charles was surrounded by courtiers. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 27 Dec. 2023 The Times of London quoted courtiers who also said that the king was tired from his previous day’s hospital procedure. Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2024 On Tuesday, courtiers released a statement about the title changes that will affect Queen Margrethe, Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary and Prince Christian. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 2 Jan. 2024 Moctezuma is a capricious ruler who executes courtiers for minute breaches of protocol and who might just lose an entire kingdom for want of a horse. Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'courtier.' 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

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of courtier was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near courtier

Cite this Entry

“Courtier.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courtier. Accessed 2 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

courtier

noun
court·​ier
ˈkōrt-ē-ər,
ˈkȯrt-
1
: a person in attendance to a ruler at a royal court
2
: a person who practices flattery

More from Merriam-Webster on courtier

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!