SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
cavalier
adjective
Showing a careless or dismissive attitude toward an important matter.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
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Carelessly dismissive
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topNonchalant may simply mean calm; cavalier criticizes disregard of something that deserves care.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See cavalier in use
A cavalier approach to deadlines frustrated the rest of the group.
The coordinator asked the director to reconsider the autocratic arrangement and share decisions affecting volunteers' schedules. She also explained that a cavalier attitude toward their commitments made cooperation harder.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license