Synonyms

contessa

American

[kawn-tes-sah, kuhn-tes-uh] / kɔnˈtɛs sɑ, kənˈtɛs ə /

noun

Italian.

countess.

Etymology

Origin of contessa

First recorded in 1815–20;

Explanation

Contessa is the title given to an Italian noblewoman whose husband is (or was) a count. She can also hold the title on her own. If Count Dracula had been a woman and Italian, he would have been Contessa Dracula! The word contessa is borrowed from Italian, but its similarity to the English word countess is pretty obvious. Europe and Britain had different titles for their nobles, and a European count had the same rank as a British earl. So in Britain, a countess is the wife or widow of an earl. For those not familiar with this history, it can be confusing to keep all these ranks straight! In Italy, contessa is also used as a title of respect for any lady.

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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.

A contessa has her eyes on a surfer whose beach faces a threat from imposing bodybuilders.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2020

In short order, the contessa and her stepdaughter Atta fell under his spell.

From Washington Post • Aug. 8, 2018

There “was quite a lot of lore and folklore about the contessa and the amazing lifestyle she led,” Mr. Briggs said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2016

The dishes featured on certainly look delectable—fun, flavor-packed, and achievable at home—but the show is as much about Ina Garten, the contessa herself, as it is about the food.

From Slate • Jun. 21, 2013

I had seen Chloe Marsh earlier in the day—very pretty, with a face shaped like a soft heart and with a delicate nose and lips like a contessa in a Renaissance portrait.

From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023