1250–1300; Middle English markis < Middle French marquis < Italian marchese < Medieval Latin *( comēs ) marc ( h ) ēnsis (count) of a borderland. See march 2, -ese
A marquis is a nobleman. If you're a marquis, your rank is higher than a baron or a count, but lower than a duke or a prince. In systems like monarchies, where people inherit a certain rank, a marquis is one of the title given to men. The French spelling, marquis, is common in most parts of Europe, although in Britain they prefer marquess. Sometimes being a marquis includes some real power to rule a territory, but it's more often just an honorary title. The equivalent for a woman is being a marchioness.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Marquees thanking first responders and expressing love for Los Angeles, clockwise from top left: El Capitan Theater, a movie theater on Fairfax Avenue, Quentin Tarantino’s Beverly Cinema and the Hollywood Bowl.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2025
And the reason Billy Stewart’s heart-in-throat staccato sounds so confident during his 1958 single “Billy’s Heartache” might be because the backup vocalists are the Marquees, a group featuring a young Marvin Gaye.
From Washington Post • Sep. 21, 2021
Marquees set up by pubs and restaurants during the Covid pandemic could become permanent on-site fixtures, under government proposals.
From BBC • Sep. 5, 2021
Marquees along the strip also read, “LA, our hearts go out to you…RIP Kobe,” instead of the new advertising slogan the city had planned to roll out, the Las Vegas Sun reported.
From Fox News • Jan. 29, 2020
Marquees were hired from Exeter; the countryside pulsated with the spirit of competition.
From The Vanity Girl by MacKenzie, Compton
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.
