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

Marquise de Merteuil, betrayed by Valmont, embarks on a daring journey to become Paris’ leading courtesan. —Billie Melissa, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Nov. 2025

Annoyed with her nephew’s behavior, the Vicomte’s aunt, Madame de Rosemonde (Diane Kruger), mentors Isabelle and boldly transforms her into one of Paris’ leading courtesans. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 13 Nov. 2025

The victims are local teenagers, seized in roundups, while the courtesans, whose ghastly storytelling each night inspires the action, are like camp followers, the guards collaborators. —David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025

The drama focuses on the true story of a group of unsung women, a Virginia socialite, her mother, a formerly enslaved sister-in-arms, and the city’s most notorious courtesan. —Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025

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