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chivalrous

/ˈʃɪvəlrəs/
/ˈʃɪvəlrəs/
IPA guide

A person who is courteous and attentive can be described as chivalrous: “The chivalrous stranger picked up the packages Veronica dropped and held the door open while she entered the apartment building.”

The word chivalrous originally described gallantry, valor, honor, and courtesy, associated with the medieval code of knighthood. Medieval knights are no longer with us, but chivalrous has survived in modern usage, usually to describe a man — or a behavior — showing courtesy or attentiveness toward women. So the guy holding the door open for you with a flourish may or may not be your “knight in shining armor," but his chivalrous act gives him something in common with the medieval knights of lore.

Definitions of chivalrous
  1. adjective
    being attentive to women like an ideal knight
    synonyms: gallant, knightly
    courteous
    characterized by courtesy and gracious good manners
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