knighthood
- 01 C1 Advanced
the rank or title of a knight, given to someone for doing something very important for their country.
the rank, title, or status of a knight, typically conferred by a sovereign for exceptional achievement or service.
Simple“The famous actor received a knighthood for his long career in film.”
In context“The Prime Minister recommended the scientist for a knighthood in recognition of her groundbreaking contributions to public health.”
UsageOften used with the verbs 'receive', 'confer', or 'bestow'.
Teacher's tipIn the UK, a knighthood allows a man to use the title 'Sir' before his first name; women receive a 'damehood' and use the title 'Dame'.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
all the knights of a country or group considered together.
the collective body of knights; the social class or order composed of knights.
Simple“The king called upon the knighthood of the realm to defend the borders.”
In context“Historical accounts suggest that the knighthood of the fourteenth century was as much a political class as a military one.”
UsageUsually functions as an uncountable or collective noun.
Teacher's tipThis sense is rare in modern speech and is mostly found in history books or fantasy literature.
“He received a knighthood for services to dance in 2019.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.