Meanings
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1
noun
a person who attends or serves a monarch at a royal court
The courtier carried the king's message to the foreign ambassador.
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2
noun
a person who seeks favor through flattery or close attention to someone powerful
He behaved like a courtier, praising every decision the director made.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English courteour, through Anglo-Norman and Old French forms based on cort, meaning a royal court. The flattering sense grew from the behavior associated with people seeking favor at court.