courtesan
noun
cour·te·san
ˈkȯr-tə-zən 
-ˌzan,
also ˈkər-,
-ˌzän;
especially British ˌkȯ-tə-ˈzan
: a prostitute with a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele
Synonyms
Examples of courtesan in a Sentence
the protagonist of the novel is a composite of several real-life courtesans who plied their trade among the decadent aristocracy
Recent Examples on the Web
During anti-colonial revolts in the 19th century, many of the courtesans’ residences became hideout spots for Indian rebels.
—
Astha Rajvanshi, TIME, 2 May 2024
Elite patronage had given rise to quarters of courtesans, and an ecosystem of music, dance and fashion grew around them.
—Mujib Mashal Atul Loke, New York Times, 1 May 2024
The real Jeanne du Barry was the illegitimate daughter of a common seamstress who used her intelligence and sexuality to rise within the ranks of high society, eventually becoming the favored courtesan of King Loius XV.
—Mike Miller, EW.com, 2 Apr. 2024
Mariko declines, and Blackthorne follows the courtesan alone, brushing his hand over Mariko’s on the way.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Elisa has recently been orphaned for a second time by the death of her guardian, Rosaria, a minor courtesan who took her in after her parents’ untimely deaths.
—Jess Bergman, The New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2023
The show by playwright Kate Hammill is a risqué comedic drama loosely based on the life and tell-all memoirs of the 19th century’s most famous courtesan, Harriette Wilson, also known as The Little Fellow.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2023
Its image of a Paris courtesan, with tungsten-white skin and a level gaze, stretched out on her bed and approached by a Black female attendant bearing flowers, punched many a hot button — social, aesthetic and ethical — in French bourgeois culture.
—Holland Cotter, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2023
Hamill will co-star with her real-life husband, actor Jason O’Connell, in the risqué comedy drama based on the memoirs of real-life 19th-century British courtesan Harriette Wilson.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2023
Astha Rajvanshi, TIME, 2 May 2024
Elite patronage had given rise to quarters of courtesans, and an ecosystem of music, dance and fashion grew around them.
—Mujib Mashal Atul Loke, New York Times, 1 May 2024
The real Jeanne du Barry was the illegitimate daughter of a common seamstress who used her intelligence and sexuality to rise within the ranks of high society, eventually becoming the favored courtesan of King Loius XV.
—Mike Miller, EW.com, 2 Apr. 2024
Mariko declines, and Blackthorne follows the courtesan alone, brushing his hand over Mariko’s on the way.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Elisa has recently been orphaned for a second time by the death of her guardian, Rosaria, a minor courtesan who took her in after her parents’ untimely deaths.
—Jess Bergman, The New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2023
The show by playwright Kate Hammill is a risqué comedic drama loosely based on the life and tell-all memoirs of the 19th century’s most famous courtesan, Harriette Wilson, also known as The Little Fellow.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Oct. 2023
Its image of a Paris courtesan, with tungsten-white skin and a level gaze, stretched out on her bed and approached by a Black female attendant bearing flowers, punched many a hot button — social, aesthetic and ethical — in French bourgeois culture.
—Holland Cotter, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2023
Hamill will co-star with her real-life husband, actor Jason O’Connell, in the risqué comedy drama based on the memoirs of real-life 19th-century British courtesan Harriette Wilson.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'courtesan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Courtesan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courtesan. Accessed 5 May. 2024.
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