What does errantry mean?
Errantry is a literary noun describing the practice of the knight-errant: wandering the world in search of adventure, typically with the aim of performing chivalrous deeds such as rescuing the distressed, defending the weak, or winning honour. It derives from 'errant', meaning roaming or travelling, which itself traces to the Latin verb 'errare', to wander. The word belongs largely to the vocabulary of medieval romance and its modern descendants in fantasy fiction, where knights prove their worth through quests rather than settled courtly life. By extension, errantry can be used playfully for any period of roving, purposeful wandering. Its connotations are idealistic and romantic, evoking courage, courtesy, and devotion to a cause. Though rare in ordinary speech, it remains useful whenever one wishes to evoke the spirit of the questing hero.
nounThe practice or way of life of a knight-errant; wandering adventure undertaken in pursuit of chivalrous deeds. More broadly, it can refer to roving, questing behaviour of any kind.
- The activity or vocation of a knight-errant: wandering in search of adventures and opportunities to perform chivalrous deeds.
- Roving, questing travel or conduct more generally, often used playfully or literarily.
"The old romances are filled with tales of errantry, in which knights roam the countryside seeking wrongs to right."
"Medieval romances celebrate errantry as the highest calling of noble youth."
"After quitting his job, he spent a summer in cheerful errantry, drifting from town to town with no fixed plan."
Rarely pluralised; when used, it refers to multiple instances or episodes of knightly adventuring.
"The minstrels recounted his many errantries across distant kingdoms."
J. R. R. Tolkien wrote an entire whimsical poem called 'Errantry' about a tiny messenger who sets off on a grand chivalric quest.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of errantry
Errantry comes from 'errant', meaning wandering or roving, combined with the suffix '-ry' denoting a practice or condition, much as 'cavalry' relates to 'cavalier'. The root is the Latin 'errare', meaning to wander or stray, which also gives English words such as error, erratic, and aberration. The word arose in Middle English in connection with the figure of the knight-errant of chivalric romance, and has retained its literary flavour ever since.
Related word forms
How errantry is actually used
A literary and somewhat archaic word; it appears chiefly in historical discussion of chivalric romance, fantasy literature, or deliberately elevated prose. It carries romantic, idealised connotations rather than everyday ones.
Easily confused with errantry
'Arrant' means outright or complete (as in 'an arrant fool'), while 'errant' means wandering or straying, and 'errantry' derives from that sense of roving adventure.