adj

cavalier

ka-vuh-LIH

adj

Careless or dismissive about something that actually matters; offhand to the point of recklessness.

"He took a cavalier attitude toward the safety regulations."

"She dismissed my concerns in a rather cavalier way."

noun

Historically, a mounted soldier or knight, and later a supporter of King Charles I during the English Civil War.

"The Cavaliers fought against Cromwell's Parliamentarians."

"Cavalier fashion favoured long curled hair and lace collars."

How to Use Cavalier

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAs an adjective, it means careless or too casual about something serious; as a noun, it originally meant a horseman or a 17th-century royalist supporter of Charles I.

Common mistake

In modern use it's almost always the adjective (careless, dismissive) — the horseman/royalist sense is mostly historical, and the Chevrolet Cavalier is unrelated slang.

Common pairings

a cavalier attitude cavalier disregard for treat something in a cavalier manner

Word Forms

more cavalier comparative, cavaliered past tense, cavaliers plural, Cavaliers plural, cavaliers singular, most cavalier superlative

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Etymology

From Middle French cavalier ("horseman"), tracing back through Italian and Occitan to Latin caballus ("horse"). A doublet of "chevalier" and "caballero."

Rhymes for cavalier

bier tier pier crier skier trier Meier Grier Drier Xavier copier vizier

See all rhymes for cavalier →