noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:N AY1 T HH UH2 D
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An honour whereby one is made into a knight, and whereafter one is entitled to be called Sir.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
the knighthood of Sir [So-and-So]
He's got an OBE and MBE, and his recent work should entitle him to a knighthood.
They rushed to congratulate Sir John Smith on his knighthood.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The quality of being a knight.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
The knights collectively, the body of knights.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
aristocrats holding the rank of knight
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: nobility, aristocracy
History
Etymology
From Middle English knyghthode, knyȝthod, from Old English cnihthād, from Proto-West Germanic *knehtahaidu, equivalent to knight + -hood. Cognate with Dutch knechtheid, dialectal German Knechtheit.
Across languages
Translations
46 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
посвещаване n/посвещение n в рицарство
(posveštenie)
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
Chinese Mandarin:
冊封騎士 /册封骑士
(cèfēng qíshì)
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
Chinese Mandarin:
騎士封號 /骑士封号
(qíshì fēnghào)
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
Dutch:
verheffing in de adelstand
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
Finnish:
ritarius
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
Georgian:
რაინდობა
(raindoba)
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
German:
Rittertum
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
German:
Ritterlichkeit
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
German:
Ritterschaft
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
Irish:
ridireacht
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
Macedonian:
витештво
(viteštvo)
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
Polish:
tytuł szlachecki
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
Russian:
ры́царство
(rýcarstvo)
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
Scots:
knichtheid
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
Scottish Gaelic:
ridireachd
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
Serbo-Croatian:
витештво
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
Serbo-Croatian:
viteštvo
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
Turkish:
şövalyelik
— honour whereby one is made into a knight
Arabic:
فروسية
— quality of being a knight
Bulgarian:
рицарство
(ricarstvo)
— quality of being a knight
Chinese Mandarin:
騎士品格 /骑士品格
(qíshì pǐngé)
— quality of being a knight
Dutch:
ridderschap
— quality of being a knight
Finnish:
ritarius
— quality of being a knight
Georgian:
რაინდობა
(raindoba)
— quality of being a knight
German:
Rittertum
— quality of being a knight
German:
Ritterlichkeit
— quality of being a knight
German:
Ritterschaft
— quality of being a knight
Irish:
ridireacht
— quality of being a knight
Macedonian:
витештво
(viteštvo)
— quality of being a knight
Polish:
rycerskość
— quality of being a knight
Russian:
ры́царство
(rýcarstvo)
— quality of being a knight
Scottish Gaelic:
ridireachd
— quality of being a knight
Turkish:
şövalyelik
— quality of being a knight
Bulgarian:
рицарство
(ricarstvo)
— body of knights
Chinese Mandarin:
騎士團 /骑士团
(qíshìtuán)
— body of knights
