Meaning & use

chivalrous

adjective·Advanced

Showing courteous, honorable, and considerate behavior, especially toward others in a gallant way.

See it in a sentence

He held the door open and offered his coat in a chivalrous gesture during the storm.

Her grandfather was raised to be chivalrous, always walking on the traffic side of the sidewalk.

A note on using this word

Chivalrous comes from medieval knighthood and today often describes old-fashioned politeness, especially between men and women.

Words with a similar meaning

gallantcourteousgentlemanly

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

rudediscourteous

Make it your own

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