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courtship

American  
[kawrt-ship, kohrt-] / ˈkɔrt ʃɪp, ˈkoʊrt- /

noun

  1. the wooing of one person by another.

  2. the period during which such wooing takes place.

  3. solicitation of favors, applause, etc.

  4. Ethology. behavior in animals that occurs before and during mating, often including elaborate displays.

  5. Obsolete. courtly behavior; courtesy; gallantry.

courtship British  
/ ˈkɔːtʃɪp /

noun

  1. the act, period, or art of seeking the love of someone with intent to marry

  2. the seeking or soliciting of favours

  3. obsolete courtly behaviour

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of courtship

First recorded in 1580–90; court + -ship

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.

Wall Street’s courtship of moderate millionaires has intensified, with firms like Blackstone and KKR looking to them to fuel their next leg of growth.

From The Wall Street Journal

A few weeks ago it looked like Paramount Skydance boss David Ellison was headed for a Hollywood ending with his courtship of Warner Bros.

From The Wall Street Journal

And that courtship is likely to start again this season.

From BBC

"I have been given a third contact and we have started courtship," said Suleiman.

From Barron's

After a courtship that unfurled in fits and starts, they married in 1996.

From Salon

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.