- a supporter of Charles I during the English Civil War
Compare Roundhead
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Cavalier /ˌkævəˈlɪə/ n
cav•a•lier /ˌkævəˈlɪr/USA pronunciation
n.
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- [countable]
- World Historya mounted soldier;
knight.
adj.
- casually indifferent or disdainful:his cavalier treatment of others' property.
- nonchalant;
carefree;
lighthearted:A cavalier approach to your studies will get you into trouble.
cav•a•lier
(kav′ə lēr′, kav′ə lēr′),USA pronunciation n.
adj.
v.i.
cav′a•lier′ism, cav′a•lier′ness, n.
cav′a•lier′ly, adv.
- World Historya horseman, esp. a mounted soldier;
knight. - one having the spirit or bearing of a knight;
a courtly gentleman;
gallant. - a man escorting a woman or acting as her partner in dancing.
- World History(cap.) an adherent of Charles I of England in his contest with Parliament.
adj.
- haughty, disdainful, or supercilious:an arrogant and cavalier attitude toward others.
- offhand or unceremonious:The very dignified officials were confused by his cavalier manner.
- World History, Literature(cap.) of or pertaining to the Cavaliers.
- Literature(cap.) of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the Cavalier poets or their work.
v.i.
- to play the cavalier.
- to be haughty or domineering.
- Late Latin caballārius man on horseback, equivalent. to Latin caball(us) horse (compare capercaillie) + -ārius -ary
- Old Provencal
- Old Italian cavaliere
- Middle French: horseman, knight
- 1590–1600
cav′a•lier′ly, adv.
- 5. indifferent, offhand, uncaring, thoughtless, condescending.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
cavalier /ˌkævəˈlɪə/ adj
- showing haughty disregard; offhand
- a gallant or courtly gentleman, esp one acting as a lady's escort
- archaic a horseman, esp one who is armed
'Cavalier' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
caballero
- Carew
- cavalry
- chevalier
- Hals
- King Charles spaniel
- Lovelace
- Roundhead
- Suckling
- cav.
- cavalcade
- cavalier King Charles spaniel
- Cavalier poets
- cavalier servente
- Marini
- royalist
- uncavalier