countess

[ koun-tis ]

noun

1. the wife or widow of a count in the nobility of Continental Europe or of an earl in the British peerage.
2. a woman having the rank of a count or earl in her own right.

countess

/ ˈkaʊntɪs /

noun

1. the wife or widow of a count or earl
2. a woman of the rank of count or earl

Gender Note

What's the difference between countess and count? See -ess.

Word History and Origins

Origin of countess¹

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English c(o)untesse, from Anglo-French; count ², -ess

Example Sentences

The countess helped plan the village and designed its pavilion.

From BBC

Moore’s strategic countess can only elevate her position and that of her family by using George, which she does without guilt.

From Salon

It tells the story of a count and countess whiling away their days in a secluded villa surrounded by a garden as a horde of rabble rousers approaches.

From Seattle Times

“A countess is, of course, a useful thing to be,” I observed.

From Literature

"She was this countess who had all of these connections to varying people in the know," Mulley explains.

From BBC

Related Words

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