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 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 Joining Hamm are Roy Wood Jr. as a detective who thinks Fletch is guilty, Marcia Gay Harden as a countess with a crazy accent, Kyle MacLachlan as an art dealer who blasts EDM, and John Slattery as Fletch’s former newspaper editor. Brooke Hauser, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Sep. 2022 The intrepid countess and Alpiew embark on a search for the killer, a quest complicated by street gangs sporting pink ribbons as well as by a sculptor with a silver nose, a grubby stalker, a tea-smuggling heiress and a besotted steward with glaring white wooden false teeth. Celia Imrie, WSJ, 14 Jan. 2022 And there is no evidence of a German countess. Arkansas Online, 25 Nov. 2021 Did Gunther really inherit money from a countess? Korin Miller, Women's Health, 1 Feb. 2023 Ergo, Peter must best the city’s fiercest warrior in single combat, fly and make a bereaved countess laugh for the first time since her brother died in battle. Michael Nordine, Variety, 15 Mar. 2023 The film, which is set to start shooting in northeastern Italy on Aug. 7, centers on an aging countess (Shammah) who sets up a new type of school with a group of disenfranchised yet gifted children in her spacious villa. Ed Meza, Variety, 19 Feb. 2023 See More

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 1 Oct. 2023.

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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