viscount
Americannoun
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a nobleman next below an earl or count and next above a baron.
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History/Historical. a deputy of a count or earl.
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(in England) a sheriff.
noun
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(in the British Isles) a nobleman ranking below an earl and above a baron
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(in various countries) a son or younger brother of a count See also vicomte
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(in medieval Europe) the deputy of a count
Etymology
Origin of viscount
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
Explanation
A viscount is a member of the nobility, a man whose title gives him a rank just above a baron. In the United Kingdom, viscount is sometimes a "courtesy title," bestowed at some point during the recipient's live, while others are born into the title. If you're hanging out with noblemen, you may meet the Viscount of Arbuthnot or the Viscount Colville of Culross. The equivalent title for a woman is vicountess. Both words come from Latin roots, vice, "deputy," and comes, "nobleman."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The plaintive observation, ascribed to the early Victorian British Prime Minister Viscount Melbourne about the acerbically self-confident historian Thomas Babington Macaulay, remains the motto of the thoughtfully skeptical man through the ages.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
The black-and-white cat, who is named after the 19th-Century Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister Viscount Palmerston, joined the diplomatic service in 2016.
From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026
Two sections, M’Clure Strait and Viscount Melville Sound, are only passable for two to five weeks, about a third of the season length 20 years ago, according to the researchers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025
“Under our ownership, the Daily Telegraph will become a global brand, just as the Daily Mail has,” said Chairman Jonathan Harmsworth, who is also known by his aristocratic title Viscount Rothermere.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025
In fact, as I recall, I was up on the step-ladder dusting the portrait of Viscount Wetherby when my employer had entered carrying a few volumes which he presumably wished returned to the shelves.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
