cavalry
noun
cav·al·ry
ˈka-vəl-rē 
nonstandard
ˈkal-və-rē
plural cavalries
1
a
: an army component mounted on horseback
b
: an army component moving in motor vehicles or helicopters and assigned to combat missions that require great mobility
2
: horsemen
a thousand cavalry in flight
Examples of cavalry in a Sentence
Cavalry is used to perform reconnaissance.
The cavalry were brought in to support the mission.
Recent Examples on the Web
Instead, the deployment of masked troops in tactical gear showed Trump and his berserkers only care about optics, up to and including a man on horseback leading his fellow cavalry in a straight line while holding an American flag as colleagues whipped out their smartphones.
—
Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
Visitors can watch battle reenactments, view artillery and cavalry demonstrations, and tour the battlefield where as many as 51,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, captured or missing during the Civil War’s bloodiest battle.
—Matt Alderton, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Another blemish on the record of the Arkansas regiment occurred on Jan. 22, 1847, when 34 Arkansans and a group of Kentucky cavalry, all commanded by Major Borland, were captured by a Mexican force after neglecting to post guards.
—Arkansas Online, 3 May 2025
Historians think the cavalry unit likely consisted of more than 700 horses and nearly 500 men.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cavalry
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Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
Visitors can watch battle reenactments, view artillery and cavalry demonstrations, and tour the battlefield where as many as 51,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, captured or missing during the Civil War’s bloodiest battle.
—Matt Alderton, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Another blemish on the record of the Arkansas regiment occurred on Jan. 22, 1847, when 34 Arkansans and a group of Kentucky cavalry, all commanded by Major Borland, were captured by a Mexican force after neglecting to post guards.
—Arkansas Online, 3 May 2025
Historians think the cavalry unit likely consisted of more than 700 horses and nearly 500 men.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for cavalry
Cite this Entry
“Cavalry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cavalry. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cavalry
noun
cav·al·ry
ˈkav-əl-rē
plural cavalries
: troops mounted on horseback or moving in motor vehicles or helicopters
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