countenance

American  

[koun-tn-uhns] / ˈkaʊn tn əns /

noun

1. appearance, especially the look or expression of the face.

   a sad countenance.

2. the face; visage.

3. calm facial expression; composure.

4. approval or favor; encouragement; moral support.

5. Obsolete. bearing; behavior.

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verb (used with object)

countenanced, countenancing

1. to permit or tolerate.

   You should not have countenanced his rudeness.

2. to approve, support, or encourage.

idioms

1. out of countenance, visibly disconcerted; abashed.

   He was somewhat out of countenance at the prospect of an apology.

countenance British  

/ ˈkaʊntɪnəns /

noun

1. the face, esp when considered as expressing a person's character or mood

   a pleasant countenance

2. support or encouragement; sanction

3. composure; self-control (esp in the phrases keep or lose one's countenance; out of countenance )

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verb

1. to support or encourage; sanction

2. to tolerate; endure

Related Words

See face.

Other Word Forms

• countenancer noun
• uncountenanced adjective
• undercountenance noun

Etymology

Origin of countenance

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English cuntenaunce “behavior, bearing, self-control,” from Anglo-French cuntena(u)nce, Old French contenance, from Medieval Latin “way of living, demeanor,” from Latin continentia “self-control, restraint”; continence

Example Sentences

But despite soundtracking 128 episodes worth of hormonal melodrama, Cole’s song most immediately evokes one image: the devilishly handsome, All-American countenance of the show’s star, James Van Der Beek.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026

Over time, you can see that he has come to believe that the problems of the country need something more radical than either of the traditional big parties are prepared to countenance.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2026

For “what else has a council ever been,” the pope asked, “but a renewal of this meeting with the countenance of the risen Christ?”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

“I was very impressed with his countenance, courtesy and respect toward me,” Grier said in an email.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2025

Nicknamed “Mendel’s bulldog”—an animal that he resembled both in countenance and temperament—Bateson traveled to Germany, France, Italy, and the United States, giving talks on heredity that emphasized Mendel’s discovery.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• appearance
• demeanor
• mien
• visage