countess

noun

count·​ess ˈkau̇n-təs How to pronounce countess (audio)
1
: the wife or widow of an earl or count
2
: a woman who holds in her own right the rank of earl or count

Examples of countess in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Julianne Moore is a countess conniving her way to the top! Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2024 The young countess smiled solo in the first shot and kneeled to pet the family dog Cerise in the second image. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 24 Jan. 2024 Marina Cicogna, an Italian countess who became her country’s first major female film producer, guiding to the screen celebrated films by Pier Paolo Pasolini, Franco Zeffirelli and Elio Petri, died on Nov. 4 at her home in Rome. Alex Williams, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2023 Carlotta Liebenstein The German countess in 1991 left $80 million to her dog, Gunther IV. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 22 Dec. 2023 Led by a countess with a secret (Jeanette Hain), Johanna proves to be a quick learner. Marta Balaga, Variety, 18 Oct. 2023 In an official statement from Powderham Castle, Courtenay, who is the 19th Earl of Devon, confirmed his split from Langer, who played Rayanne on the ’90s cult hit and is now a countess. Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 19 Oct. 2023 This storied region in Romania is a land of vast wilderness, regal countesses, and plenty of folklore. Kate Eshelby, Travel + Leisure, 16 Sep. 2023 Thrones pushed the Emmy drama race out of its era of dowager countesses and troubled men and into one where robots and demogorgons could at least have a shot. Esther Zuckerman, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'countess.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of countess was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near countess

Cite this Entry

“Countess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/countess. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

countess

noun
count·​ess ˈkau̇nt-əs How to pronounce countess (audio)
1
: the wife or widow of a count or an earl
2
: a woman holding the rank of count or earl
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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