troubadour
noun
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In the Middle Ages, troubadours were the shining knights of poetry (in fact, some were ranked as high as knights in the feudal class structure). Troubadours made chivalry a high art, writing poems and singing about chivalrous love, creating the mystique of refined damsels, and glorifying the gallant knight on his charger. Troubadour was a fitting name for such creative artists: it derives from an Old Occitan word meaning "to compose." In modern contexts, troubadour still refers to the song-meisters of the Middle Ages, but it has been extended to cover contemporary poet-musicians as well.
Examples of troubadour in a Sentence
Alex Suskind, Pitchfork, 18 Mar. 2026
Its name is literal, since this legendary troubadour cited a major hearing loss as the reason for his retirement.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
Sons of Town Hall Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook
The singular folk/storytelling/troubadour/comedy act Sons of Town Hall offers the adventures and observations of 19th century journeymen Josiah Chester Jones and George Ulysses Brown.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Feb. 2026
Justin Townes Earle may have traveled the world as an Americana troubadour, but the story of the singer-songwriter’s life can be told in just a few square miles in his native Nashville.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 4 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Troubadour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/troubadour. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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troubadour
noun
