cavalier

cavalier

 
adjective | kav-uh-LEER
 
What It Means
 
Someone described as cavalier shows no concern for important or serious matters. Cavalier also describes attitudes, manners, etc., that show the same lack of concern.
 
// The company provides regular training about the dangers of being cavalier in sharing privileged information.

cavalier
1 of 2
adjective

Synonyms of cavalier
1
: marked by or given to offhand and often disdainful (see disdain entry 1) dismissal of important matters
a cavalier attitude toward money
has a cavalier disregard for the rights of others
2
: debonair
3
a
capitalized : of or relating to the party of Charles I of England in his struggles with the Puritans and Parliament
b
: aristocratic
portrayed the plantation owner as a cavalier fop
c
capitalized : of or relating to the English Cavalier poets of the mid-17th century
cavalierism

 noun
cavalierly adverb
cavalier

2 of 2
noun
1
: a gentleman trained in arms and horsemanship
2
: a mounted soldier : knight
3
capitalized : an adherent of Charles I of England
4
: a lady's escort or dancing partner : gallant


Did you know?
The Evolution of Cavalier

Mount up, fellow language caballeros! We think you’ll agree that the origins of cavalier make a great deal of horse sense. The noun cavalier—which traces back to the Late Latin word caballarius, meaning “horseback rider,” and even further to the Latin word for “work horse,” caballus—originally referred to a gentleman or knight trained in arms and horsemanship. The adjective trotted into English just a few decades after the noun, first describing those thought to embody qualities of gallantry and suaveness associated with such soldiers. However, the English Puritans later applied the noun with disdain to their adversaries, the swashbuckling royalist followers of Charles I, who sported longish hair and swords. Their use undoubtedly contributed to the adjective’s “flippant” sense, which is now the most common. To saddle someone (or their behavior, attitude, etc.) with the descriptor today is to say that they do not demonstrate the expected or required care for serious matters.

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flippant
[;flip;nt]
adjective
not showing a serious or respectful attitude:
"a flippant remark"
Similar:
frivolous
superficial
shallow
glib
thoughtless
carefree
irresponsible
insouciant
offhand
disrespectful
irreverent
facetious
cheeky
pert
overfamiliar
impudent

Translate flippant to

German
leichtfertig

***

Synonyms
Adjective

arrogant
assumptive
bumptious
chesty
haughty
high-and-mighty
high-handed
high-hat
highfalutin
hifalutin
huffish
huffy
imperious
important
lofty
lordly
masterful
overweening
peremptory
pompous
presuming
presumptuous
pretentious
self-asserting
self-assertive
sniffy
stiff-necked
supercilious
superior
toplofty
toploftical
uppish
uppity
Noun

gentleman
Examples of cavalier in a Sentence
Adjective
They are too cavalier in their treatment of others.
She has a cavalier attitude about spending money.
He has a cavalier disregard for the rights of others.
Noun
a novel about the dashing cavaliers and gracious ladies of the South before the Civil War
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The cavalier attitude in public was clearly supposed to be fun and performative, not a parenting choice.
—Alexandra Bregman, Forbes, 1 Dec. 2024
French bulldogs, Boston terriers, cavalier King Charles spaniels and other brachycephalic (short-nosed) breeds have become incredibly popular due to their unique appearance.
—Lisa Bloch, The Mercury News, 19 Nov. 2024
Noun
The event kicked off with an opening dance, before the debutantes lined up for a waltz with their fathers, who were then passed onto their cavaliers for dancing with a live band.
—Kristen Bateman, Vogue, 1 Dec. 2024
Opal is described as a 5-pound red/brown cavapoo — a mix of a King Charles cavalier and a poodle.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2024