Thesaurus results for COURTESAN

courtesan

noun

ˈkȯr-tə-zən

as in prostitute

a woman who engages in sexual activities for money the protagonist of the novel is a composite of several real-life courtesans who plied their trade among the decadent aristocracy

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of courtesan 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 Brents said the Sheri Ranch courtesans’ effort is significant in a stigmatized industry in which its workers historically lay low and stay quiet. —

Jessica Hill, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for courtesan

Recent Examples of Synonyms for courtesan

Noun

The next year, he was arrested again for robbing and assaulting a prostitute.

— Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Later that day, he was stabbed to death in a drug deal gone bad by two transients and a prostitute.

— George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026