viscount

[ vahy-kount ]

noun

1. a nobleman next below an earl or count and next above a baron.
2. History/Historical. a deputy of a count or earl.
3. (in England) a sheriff.

viscount

/ ˈvaɪkaʊnt /

noun

1. (in the British Isles) a nobleman ranking below an earl and above a baron
2. (in various countries) a son or younger brother of a count See also vicomte
3. (in medieval Europe) the deputy of a count

Word History and Origins

Origin of viscount¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English viscounte, from Anglo-French; Old French visconte, from vis vice ³ + counte count ², translation of Medieval Latin vicecomes

Word History and Origins

Origin of viscount¹

C14: from Old French visconte, from Medieval Latin vicecomes, from Late Latin vice- vice ³ + comes count ²

Example Sentences

Ms. Charlot, a New York native who died at her home in Tepoztlán, Mexico, on Sunday at 101, had been a Hollywood singer before her marriage in the mid-1940s to a viscount, or British nobleman.

From New York Times

In recent years, Eton has admitted more sons of international money — fewer viscounts and more investment bankers — as well as more children from less affluent families, with the number of scholarships growing every year.

From New York Times

A duke is the highest ranking member of the English nobility, followed by marquesses, earls, viscounts and barons.

From New York Times

“Eccentric Lives,” a collection of cheeky obituaries from Britain’s Daily Telegraph, includes one about a viscount who shot at a hot-air balloon.

From New York Times

“So it is unlikely she would have been regarded as anything like an appropriate match for a viscount.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aristocrat
• blue blood
• emperor
• patrician