countess
/ˈkaʊntɪs/
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: countesses
Sense 1
Meaning · English
The wife of a count or earl.
Noun
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
A woman holding the rank of count or earl in her own right; a female holder of an earldom.
Noun
Examples
Elizabeth Millicent Leveson-Gower is 24th Countess of Sutherland; her son will be the 25th Earl.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “countess” mean?
The wife of a count or earl.
Is “countess” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.