countess

noun count·ess \ ˈkau̇n-təs \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of countess

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

See countess defined for English-language learners

See countess defined for kids

Recent Examples of countess from the Web

About the author: Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Egan dated Steve Jobs and once worked as a private secretary to a countess.

— catie l'heureux, The Cut, "5 Books to Read If You Love New York," 6 Apr. 2018
The Real Housewives of New York, a franchise which among other things brought us three unforgettable pop singles from former countess Luann de Lesseps, is turning 10 this year.

— caroline hallemann, Town & Country, "The Real Housewives of New York Are Going All Out for Season 10," 7 Mar. 2018
Financed in 1914 by a countess who admired Müller’s teachings, it was intended as a retreat for visitors to transcend their egos by walking in nature and dancing vigorously to classical music.

— alex halberstadt, Smithsonian, "Why Winter Is the Perfect Time to Visit Bavaria," 24 Jan. 2018
Forest Avenue Press: The most recent title from Portland's Forest Avenue Press is a retelling of an 1834 Alexander Pushkin fable about a young engineer obsessed with learning an old countess' secret to a grand win at cards.

— amy wang, OregonLive.com, "Bookmarks: 2018 Authors Conference, a last look at 2017 titles," 26 Dec. 2017
As Maev Kennedy reports for the Guardian, the collection includes 36 letters, most of them written with pencil, addressed to Garbo’s friend, the Swedish countess Marta Wachtmeister.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "The Profound Loneliness of Greta Garbo," 8 Dec. 2017
The countess redid the apartment with decorator Henri Samuel (a favorite of Rothschilds and Vanderbilts), and little but the art has changed since.

— jamie rosen, Town & Country, "Inside Countess Isabelle d'Ornano's Eclectic Paris Apartment," 21 Sep. 2017
Countess made three tackles and broke up a pass against the Chargers.

— mark inabinett, AL.com, "Auburn NFL roundup: Rookies register first sacks in same game," 27 Aug. 2017
Just ask the Countess of Wessex, daughter-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II, who appeared to stumble on Tuesday in the old-fashioned vehicle on a formal parade.

— raisa bruner, Time, "Here's a Delightful Photo of Graceful Hero Kate Middleton Catching a Falling Countess," 20 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'countess.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of countess

12th century

Other Foreign Functionary Terms

count, despot, emir, wardrobe, yeoman

COUNTESS Defined for English Language Learners

countess

noun

Definition of countess for English Language Learners

: the wife of a count or an earl
: a woman who has the rank of count or earl

COUNTESS Defined for Kids

countess

noun count·ess \ ˈkau̇n-təs \

Definition of countess for Students

1 : the wife or widow of a count or an earl

2 : a woman who holds the rank of a count or an earl in her own right

Learn More about countess

Spanish Central: Translation of countess Nglish: Translation of countess for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about countess

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countess

Definition of countess

Recent Examples of countess from the Web

First Known Use of countess

Other Foreign Functionary Terms

COUNTESS Defined for English Language Learners

countess

Definition of countess for English Language Learners

COUNTESS Defined for Kids

countess

Definition of countess for Students

Learn More about countess

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Definition of countess

Recent Examples of countess from the Web

First Known Use of countess

Other Foreign Functionary Terms

COUNTESS Defined for English Language Learners

countess

Definition of countess for English Language Learners

COUNTESS Defined for Kids

countess

Definition of countess for Students

Learn More about countess

Seen and Heard

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'Preventive' or 'Preventative'?

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2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes