courtship

noun

court·​ship ˈkȯrt-ˌship 

: the act, process, or period of courting

Synonyms of courtship

• dating
• romance

Examples of courtship in a Sentence

They had a two-year courtship before marrying.

The male of the species often displays aggression during courtship.

the President's courtship of middle-class voters

Recent Examples on the Web

Gen Z doesn’t necessarily crave a return to rigid gender scripts or traditional courtship rituals. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 17 Nov. 2025

The couple’s courtship — during which the Kansas City Chiefs star frequently joined her from the audience and famously once on stage during The Eras Tour — is on full display in the docuseries. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, PEOPLE, 13 Nov. 2025

Executives will hope that their courtship with Sky can turn into an enduring union, even if the takeover bid has left some perplexed. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2025

The couple married three years ago after a whirlwind four-month courtship. —Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for courtship

• airship
• airstrip
• clerkship
• equip
• filmstrip
• flagship
• gunship
• headship
• heirship
• judgeship
• kinship
• lightship

Kids Definition

courtship

noun

court·​ship -ˌship 

: the act or process of courting