knightly

adjective

Definition of knightlynext
as in kingly

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of knightly He’s saved by a drunken Ser Arlan, who comes stumbling into the alley and instinctively follows his knightly code to defend the innocent. — Noel Murray, Vulture, 16 Feb. 2026 Far from a knightly war, the German advance in 1941-1942 against France was a dirty one, with thieving of private property and menace against civilians. — Christopher C. Gorham september 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025 The entire Christian civilization on which our country is built is a knightly message to defend widows and orphans. — Fox News, 9 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for knightly
  1. kingly
  2. princely
  3. queenly
  4. lordly
  5. royal
  6. gentlemanly
  7. regal
Adjective
  • The result, historians say, has become a centralized, more politicized spectacle, marking the national milestone as a celebration of an imperial presidency rather than a revolution from kingly rule.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • On the thirteenth-century tomb of Eleanor of Aquitaine, she is shown wide awake and reading, while her dull and kingly husband sleeps for all eternity.
    — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 20 Jan. 2025
Definition of kingly
Adjective
  • Charles stripped his brother of his princely title and ordered him to leave Royal Lodge last year as the monarch sought to shield the rest of the royal family from the continuing scandal of Mountbatten-Windsor’s relationship with Epstein.
    — Danica Kirka, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The name Arthur has given princely vibes since the 6th century, when King Arthur pulled his legendary sword from the stone.
    — Sarah Scott, Parents, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of princely
Adjective
  • Her hair is still red, but now straightened and shortened into a bob; the curly and queenly aura is now history in favor of something that is even h-o-t-t-e-r-t-o-go.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The Bronze Age cemetery likely held highborn warriors, contemporaries of Ulysses, but perhaps a queenly mother lay among them.
    — Kevin West, Travel + Leisure, 8 May 2026
Definition of queenly
Adjective
  • But the cruelty and callousness of the lordly class infuses it all.
    — Ky Henderson, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2024
  • The surge ended in the World Series, the lordly Yankees winning in six games, but Mays was on his way and Durocher gave him full credit.
    — Mike Kupper, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2024
Definition of lordly
Adjective
  • Queen Camilla, who wears the midi and maxidresses, took her admiration for Me+Em a step further, handing the brand a Royal Warrant as an official supplier of clothing and accessories to the royal household.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Continue reading … BRIDGES UNDER FIRE — Prince Harry making 'big mistake' that could destroy the chance of royal reconciliation, expert says.
    — , FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of royal
Adjective
  • Abrams, meanwhile, continues to straddle the fence in gentlemanly fashion.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
  • There’s still plenty to enjoy in West’s plummy and gentlemanly performance; both Miller and West, in fact, are aces at oozing posh resentment, and, to the show’s advantage, they have both been caught in tabloid relationship drama of their own.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of gentlemanly
Adjective
  • View this post on Instagram Stylistically, Roan has been setting aside some of her harder or more regal imagery lately.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Topping off her regal wardrobe moment, Middleton wore Queen Mary’s Lover’s Knot tiara, one of her most frequently worn royal jewels.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of regal

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knightliness
knightly
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Cite this Entry

“Knightly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/knightly. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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