chivalric

comparative more chivalric · superlative most chivalric

1. of, or relating to chivalry

   Aunt Jennifer's tigers prance across a screen, Bright topaz denizens of a world of green. They do not fear the men beneath the tree; They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.

   1951, Adrienne Rich, Aunt Jennifer's Tigers

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   And yet, how much chivalric association has Shakespeare flung around their bloom! But for him, the wars of the "rival houses" would be but obscure chronicles of inglorious wars—fighting for fighting sake: no liberty to be defended or obtained, and no foreign enemy driven triumphantly from the frontier: but for him, "the aspiring blood of Lancaster" would long since have sunk in the ground.

   1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 146–147

2. gallant and respectful, especially to women

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   Some historical chivalric conventions remain relevant to this day, in certain circumstances. Historically, a gentleman would walk on the “outside” of the sidewalk, closest to the street, to shield his female companion from the splash of passing carriages. This is a subtle and harmless gesture of consideration that can still be practiced today.

   2025 September 8, E. J. Daniels, “How to Walk Like a Gentleman”, in Gentleman's Gazette