courtesan

noun

cour·​te·​san ˈkȯr-tə-zən 

-ˌzan

also ˈkər-, 

-ˌzän;

especially British ˌkȯ-tə-ˈzan

plural courtesans

: a female sex worker with a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele

Synonyms of courtesan

• prostitute
• hooker

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

Soprano Amanda Woodbury sings the lead role in Verdi's opera about a courtesan in Paris. —Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 25 Mar. 2026

Kidman made audiences weep as Satine, the beautiful courtesan who is the star of the eponymous club in turn-of-the-century Paris. —Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Mar. 2026

An age-old, decidedly protean legend of an illicit love affair between Prince Salim (who ascended the throne as Jahangir) and a courtesan named Anarkali took its most recognizable form in the 1922 Urdu-language stage play Anarkali by Imtiaz Ali Taj. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Mar. 2026

The colorful artworks largely depict the sensual hedonistic lifestyles of city dwellers including merchants, courtesans and kabuki actors. —Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle French courtisane, from northern Italian dialect form of Italian cortigiana woman courtier, feminine of cortigiano courtier, from corte court, from Latin cohort-, cohors — see court entry 1

First Known Use

1542, in the meaning defined above