knightliness

9.3

Being brave, honest, and polite while protecting people

noun
/ˈnaɪtlinəs/

Archaic

: caballerosidad

To show his knightliness, he helped the villagers in need and defended their honor.

Examples

In stories of old, knightliness was celebrated for its values of courage and noble conduct.
Benson's ideal British soldier was a latter-day knight: "The young Christian soldier, high-hearted and courageous, who regards a great fight not as the carrying out of a brutal and aggressive programme, but as a great and noble adventure, may still be a worthy example of knightliness and stainless valour, who is willing, if need be, to make the last sacrifice of love, and to lay down his life for his friends."

Academic text (2002)
Her actions reflected true knightliness as she stood up for the weak and supported her friends.

Synonyms

chivalry

vsknightliness

6 7.4

Rules and ideas knights followed in the Middle Ages, such as bravery and honor

is about the personal qualities and ideals behind that system

gallantry

vsknightliness

4 7.3

Polite and respectful behaviour by a man towards a woman

emphasizes broader honor and bravery beyond just polite acts

nobleness

vsknightliness

Formal

1 6.6

Being kind and honest in a way people respect

is more specific by adding bravery and courteous social rules

gentlemanliness

vsknightliness

Formal

1 7.2

Polite and kind behaviour that shows respect and good manners

adds martial courage and medieval duty to that conduct

honorableness

vsknightliness

7.4

A quality of being honest and fair that earns respect

includes moral worth but adds courage and courteous codes

How Knightly

knightliness

Archaic

9.3

courtesy

296 1.9

politeness

26 1.3

Surface Forms

knightliness singular

knightlinesses plural

Morphology

knightliness = knightly (transparent) = knight + ly + ness

The noun is a straightforward nominalization of the adjective 'knightly' using the productive suffix '-ness'.

Etymology

Knightliness comes from knight, a man in old times who fought for and served a lord, plus the ending -liness that turns a word into a 'quality' or 'state'. So knightliness means the 'brave, honorable, and polite' behaviour we expect from a knight.