noun

• 1historical A knight.

  ‘The poor chevalier de La Barre subsequently joined Calas in the ranks of the Enlightenment's martyrs.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘In 1808 the imperial nobility was completed with the ranks of count, baron, and chevalier, all of them hereditary.’
  • ‘Philippe, chevalier de Lorraine, like Guiche before him, bore a striking resemblance to Louis himself.’
  • ‘Things go south, however, once the chevalier meets the noble gentry and gets down to the business of solving the mystery.’
  • ‘He was the official painter to the daughters of Louis XV, and then became painter to Jean Philippe, chevalier d' Orleans.’

  Synonyms

  chevalier, cavalier, cavalryman, horseman, equestrian

  1. 1.1A member of certain orders of knighthood or of modern French orders such as the Legion of Honour.
     ‘He was also honoured with France's highest cultural honour, becoming a chevalier of the Legion d' Honneur, in the same year Sophie met a brutal death.’
     More example sentences

     • ‘He was made a chevalier of the French Legion of Honor in 1896, and received the Order of Saint Michael from the government of Bavaria in 1898.’
     • ‘Coolidge organised courses for his men at the Sorbonne in 1919 and in that year the French government made him a chevalier of the Légion d' Honneur.’
     • ‘He was made a chevalier of the Legion of Honour by his second country in 1896 and a commander of the order in 1933.’
     • ‘He was also made chevalier of the Légion d' Honneur and was honoured by a large number of learned societies around the world.’
  2. 1.2British historical A title of the Old and Young Pretenders.
     More example sentences

     • ‘If anybody needs reminding, Hector and Plunder also went by the names of Charles Edward and Henry Benedict, i.e. the Young Pretender / Chevalier and his brother.’