courtly love: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Literary, Academic, Historical
Quick answer
What does “courtly love” mean?
A historical European medieval literary conception of love that emphasized nobility, chivalry, and often secret, adulterous admiration, where a knight expressed devotion and performed heroic deeds for a usually married lady of high rank.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A historical European medieval literary conception of love that emphasized nobility, chivalry, and often secret, adulterous admiration, where a knight expressed devotion and performed heroic deeds for a usually married lady of high rank.
Any highly ritualized, idealized, and formal expression of romantic admiration, often characterized by exaggerated courtesy, poetic devotion, and an emphasis on longing rather than fulfillment.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The concept is studied equally in both British and American academia.
Connotations
In both varieties, it carries connotations of antiquity, literature, and formality. It can be used somewhat pejoratively to describe overly elaborate, impractical romantic gestures.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both dialects, confined to literary, historical, and cultural discussions.
Grammar
How to Use “courtly love” in a Sentence
The novel explores [the concept of] courtly love.Their relationship was a form of courtly love.He wrote poems in the courtly love tradition.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “courtly love” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The troubadour's verses courtly-loved the unattainable duchess. (rare, non-standard)
American English
- N/A
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- Their exchange had a courtly-love quality about it. (hyphenated compound adjective)
American English
- He adopted a courtly-love approach to his wooing. (hyphenated compound adjective)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Primary context. Used in literary criticism, medieval studies, history, and cultural studies.
Everyday
Rare. Might be used humorously or critically to describe very old-fashioned, elaborate romantic behavior.
Technical
A precise term in literary and historical analysis.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “courtly love”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “courtly love”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “courtly love”
- Using it as a synonym for any 'old-fashioned romance'. It is a specific historical concept.
- Confusing it with platonic love. Courtly love often had a strong (if suppressed) erotic component.
- Misspelling as 'courteously love'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Historians debate this. It was primarily a literary and cultural construct that influenced aristocratic behavior and etiquette, but it likely existed as a social ideal rather than a widespread, documented practice.
No, but they are closely related. Chivalry is the broader knightly code of conduct encompassing military, religious, and social duties. Courtly love is a specific subset of chivalry dealing with idealized romantic behavior.
Only figuratively or critically. You might say someone has 'a courtly love attitude' to describe extremely formal, poetic, or self-denying romantic behavior, but it is anachronistic as a direct descriptor.
This heightened the drama of forbidden love and ensured the relationship remained unconsummated (in theory), focusing on the lover's devoted service and the bittersweet agony of longing, which was a central theme.
A historical European medieval literary conception of love that emphasized nobility, chivalry, and often secret, adulterous admiration, where a knight expressed devotion and performed heroic deeds for a usually married lady of high rank.
Courtly love is usually literary, academic, historical in register.
Courtly love: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkɔːt.li ˈlʌv/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkɔːrt.li ˈlʌv/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[He/She] is a practitioner of courtly love.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a knight in a COURT, kneeling with a LOVEr's rose for his queen.
Conceptual Metaphor
LOVE IS A FORMAL SERVICE (the lover serves the beloved). LOVE IS A RELIGIOUS DEVOTION (the beloved is worshipped).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is MOST characteristic of the historical concept of courtly love?