château
noun
(in France) a castle or fortress.
château
American
[sha-toh, shah-toh]
/ ʃæˈtoʊ, ʃɑˈtoʊ /
Or
chateau
noun
-
châteaux,
plural
-
châteaus
plural
-
(in France) a castle or fortress.
-
a stately residence imitating a distinctively French castle.
-
a country estate, especially a fine one, in France or elsewhere on the Continent.
-
(often initial capital letter) a winegrower's estate, especially in the Bordeaux region of France: often used as part of the name of a wine.
chateau
British
/ ˈʃætəʊ, ʃɑto /
noun
-
a country house, castle, or manor house, esp in France
-
(in Quebec) the residence of a seigneur or (formerly) a governor
-
(in the name of a wine) estate or vineyard
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of château
1730–40; < French ≪ Latin castellum castellum
Explanation
A chateau is a French country house. Chateaus are large and luxurious. This is one of many English words that come straight from another language: in this case, French. A chateau is a house—or castle—in the country that’s the opposite of a shack. A chateau is a big home for wealthy folks. A poor farmer could never afford a chateau, but a wealthy businessman might have several. However, like a farm, a chateau is in the country. Chateaus are associated with wine; many wines are named after nearby chateaus.
Vocabulary lists containing chateau
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
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The Catcher in the Rye
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English Words Derived from French, List 3
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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.
See Examples For:
After making Venice her primary residence, Caland collaborated with architect Neil Kaufman on the design for her enclosed château.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
Fleuropean retreats run from $3,600 for five days and include accommodation at a picture-perfect château, all-you-can-pick flowers, one-on-one guidance from Avenson and meals, including morning deliveries of breakfast pastries, quiches and triple-crème cheeses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 4, 2026
Even at the turn of the century, schools typically were not erected on such prime real estate, but the building originally was intended to be a luxury hotel designed to invoke a French château.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 29, 2024
Established as an inn that served the lords of King Henry III, it became known as the Hostellerie de la Tour d’Argent, or silver tower, after an adjacent château that was built of silvery stone.
From New York Times ● Feb. 1, 2024
They've reserved two rooms for the week at the Saint James Paris, an exclusive château hotel.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
According to People, Prince Harry and Markle will maintain their Montecito chateau as well as their Portugal getaway pad but will reside at a private, non-royal home in the U.K.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026
"I invent things, you can't stop me," he told the France 3 channel in 2019 while showcasing another of his castles, the medieval chateau d'Excideuil in southwest France.
From Barron's ● Feb. 16, 2026
Between 1774 and 1785, Marie Antoinette redesigned the house and gardens of Le Petit Trianon, a satellite chateau of Versailles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026
Born in Switzerland, he had British citizenship and lived in a chateau in France.
From BBC ● Feb. 4, 2025
“The fortress at La Cite, sir. We are evacuating. Leaving everything. We still hold the chateau and the Bastion de la Hollande. All other personnel are to fall back.”
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
When Lee started to feel sick at Medoc, she skipped a few of the châteaus and drank water instead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
It reached its zenith during the Rococo and Neoclassical periods, gracing the interiors of palaces, châteaus and grand estates.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 29, 2023
“If the châteaus are offering wine that I don’t have, I’ll pay a little more to know that it’s sat in their cellar all these years,” Devine said.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 18, 2020
Cove wants to see how these faux châteaus affect woodrats’ chances of becoming a cat’s dinner.
From Scientific American ● Apr. 1, 2020
He had his head full of châteaus and palaces.
From The Open Question a tale of two temperaments by Elizabeth Robins
Peasants burned châteaux and records of the dues they owed local nobles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
In June, Stayton was shepherding students to châteaux Lafite, Mouton, and Margaux as part of a new partnership with France’s Kedge school.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 3, 2018
In the next bay were the red and white wines, all French—great châteaux such as Cheval Blanc, Latour, Margaux, and Palmer.
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 15, 2017
Huge profits in store for firm that can make a great leap in battery technology Chargers, châteaux and the Channel Tunnel: can you really do a driving holiday in a Tesla?
From The Guardian ● Jun. 22, 2016
There were some fine photographs of the châteaux of the Loire, and an article as well.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
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