courtesan

American  

[kawr-tuh-zuhn, kur-] / ˈkɔr tə zən, ˈkɜr- /

Sometimes courtezan

noun

1. (especially in historical use) a mistress, paramour, or prostitute, especially one associating with noblemen or men of wealth.

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courtesan British  

/ ˌkɔːtɪˈzæn /

noun

1. (esp formerly) a prostitute, or the mistress of a man of rank

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Etymology

Origin of courtesan

First recorded in 1540–50; from Middle French courtisane, from Italian cortigiana, literally, “woman of the court,” derivative of corte court

Example Sentences

By making the waltz a unifying element in an opera about a courtesan, Verdi accomplished both.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

His female companion, Mumtaz Begum, 22, was a courtesan on the run from the harem of a princely state and had been staying with Bawla for the last few months.

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2025

And when the Parisian crowds rolled into the Salon of 1865, they too went berserk in front of Édouard Manet’s painting of a courtesan, her maid and her high-strung black cat.

From New York Times • Sep. 9, 2023

The film, by French actor and director Maïwenn Le Besco, known as Maïwenn, chronicles the life of French courtesan Madame du Barry, who climbed the social ladder at Versailles to become the king's favourite.

From Reuters • May 17, 2023

Sometimes Ralph thought of her as Yang Guifei incarnate — that’s a Tang Dynasty courtesan for whom an emperor went to ruin.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen