French word

chevalier

Pronunciation

IPA/ʃəvalje/

Meaning

  • masculine nounknight

Example

Le chevalier porte une armure brillante.

The knight wears shining armor.

Illustration for chevalier (knight)

More examples

Il agit en chevalier quand il défend les autres.

He acts like a knight when he defends others.

Core concept

A rider in armor serving a lord under oath, with the same word later used for a formal honorific rank.

Common phrases

  • agir en chevalier

    act like a knight

Similar words

soldat: An army member who takes part in fighting.
cheval: A large domesticated animal used for riding and carrying goods.

Definition in French

Personne montée et armée, liée par serment à un seigneur pour combattre et protéger, surtout au Moyen Âge ; titre honorifique encore employé aujourd'hui.

Word origin

French chevalier comes through Old French from Late Latin caballarius, a person associated with a horse, from caballus, meaning horse.

Usage tips

  • In modern French, chevalier usually belongs to historical or formal contexts, including a rank in an order, rather than serving as an everyday compliment.

Opposites

  • roturiercommonernoun

Word lists with this word