chivalry
/ˈʃɪvəlɹi/noun
chivalry is spelled C-H-I-V-A-L-R-Y: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 1.2 times per million words in written English, the 26,092nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, chivalry means “The ethical code of the knight prevalent in Medieval Europe, having such primary virtues as mercy towards the poor and oppressed, humility, honour…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of chivalry is chivalries.
How many letters and syllables are in chivalry?
| Letters | 8: C-H-I-V-A-L-R-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.2 times per million words; the 26,092nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is chivalry?
Chivalry appears 1.2 times per million words in written English, the 26,092nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce chivalry?
- /ˈʃɪvəlɹi/
- /ˈt͡ʃɪvəlɹi/
Chivalry has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-chivalry.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of chivalry
- chivalries plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does chivalry mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
archaicCavalry; horsemen armed for battle.
- 2
obsoleteThe fact or condition of being a knight; knightly skill, prowess.
- 3
The ethical code of the knight prevalent in Medieval Europe, having such primary virtues as mercy towards the poor and oppressed, humility, honour, sacrifice, fear of God, faithfulness, courage and courtesy to ladies.
- 4
Courtesy, respect and honourable conduct, as between opponents in wartime.
- 5
Courteous behaviour, especially that of men towards women.
- 6
UKA tenure of lands by knightly service.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Chivalry in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | chevalerie , galanterie |
| German | Ritterlichkeit, Rittertum , galantes Benehmen, kavalierhaftes Benehmen |
| Portuguese | cavalaria , cavalheirismo |
| Spanish | caballerosidad |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does chivalry come from?
From Middle English chivalerie, a late 13th century loan from Old French chevalerie (“knighthood, chivalry, nobility, cavalry”) (11th century), the -erie (“-ery”) abstract of chevaler (“knight, horseman”), from Medieval Latin caballarius (“horseman, knight”), from caballus (“horse”). Medieval Latin caballaria (“knighthood, status or fief of a knight”) dates to the 12th century. Doublet of cavalry.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).