Meaning & use
courtier
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person who attends a royal court, often as a companion, official, or adviser to a king or queen.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a courtier' or 'courtiers'.
Patterns
- a courtier at the court of someone
- a courtier to a king/queen
The young courtier hoped to win the queen's favor.
Many courtiers gathered in the palace for the royal wedding.
He served as a courtier to the king for over twenty years.
nouncountabledisapproving
A person who flatters or tries to please a powerful person in order to gain advantage.
Grammar: Often used slightly critically; countable.
Patterns
- a courtier of someone
- play the courtier
He was surrounded by courtiers who praised his every decision.
She was accused of being a courtier, always agreeing with the boss to get ahead.
Word forms
| plural | courtiers |
|---|
Common combinations
- royal courtier
- The royal courtier advised the king on matters of state.
- courtier at court
- As a courtier at court, he knew all the latest gossip.
- a courtier's life
- A courtier's life was full of intrigue and danger.
- chief courtier
- The chief courtier was responsible for organizing the banquet.
Synonyms and how they differ
- attendant
- Attendant is a more general word for someone who serves or accompanies a person, not necessarily at a royal court.
- flatterer
- Flatterer focuses on the insincere praise, while courtier can also mean a legitimate royal official.
Word family
- court noun
- The place where a king or queen lives and works, or the people who serve them.
- courtly adjective
- Polite and elegant in a way associated with royal courts.
Commonly confused: courtier or courier?
courtier vs courier
Courier means a person who delivers messages or packages, while courtier means a person at a royal court.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'courtier' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A courtier is a person who attends a royal court, often as an adviser, so advising the queen is correct. Option 0 describes a courier, option 2 confuses with 'courser' (a horse), and option 3 is unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “courtier”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.