courtship

[kawrt-ship, kohrt-]

See more synonyms for courtship on Thesaurus.com

noun

the wooing of one person by another.
the period during which such wooing takes place.
solicitation of favors, applause, etc.

Ethology. behavior in animals that occurs before and during mating, often including elaborate displays.
Obsolete. courtly behavior; courtesy; gallantry.

Origin of courtship

First recorded in 1580–90; court + -ship

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for courtship

Contemporary Examples

Everyone showed lots of skin and courtship perfumed the air.
What Downton’s Fashion Really Means
Katie Baker
January 2, 2015
They married on December 19, 2013 after a romantic “Walt Disney” kind of courtship, they both said.
Inside A Finishing School for Transwomen
Sharon Adarlo
December 27, 2014
However, the Republican base will be far less forgiving of Paul for his criticism of police policy and his courtship of Sharpton.
GOP Won’t Forgive Rand for Cop Critique
Lloyd Green
December 23, 2014
One of the lefties she met was a sociology instructor named Philip Rieff, whom she married after a 10-day courtship.
Still Desperately Seeking Susan Sontag
Allen Barra
September 26, 2014
She met Saad a few years later and the two were married in 2003 after a three-month courtship.
Alps Murder Twist: Iraqi Wife Had Secret American Ex-Husband Who Died on the Same Day
Barbie Latza Nadeau
July 9, 2014

Historical Examples

In the third act the courtship of Ferdinand and Miranda is pretty, but hardly more.
The Man Shakespeare
Frank Harris
I should have a third, but she is surrounded by the blandishments of flattery and courtship.
The Letters of Robert Burns
Robert Burns
There is no need for me to dwell upon the history of this courtship.
Henry Dunbar
M. E. Braddon
Refining the courtship, raillery, and conversation of plays!
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine - Volume 57, No. 352, February 1845
Various
Let us take one example—the courtship of the Argus pheasant.
The Truth About Woman
C. Gasquoine Hartley

British Dictionary definitions for courtship

courtship

noun

the act, period, or art of seeking the love of someone with intent to marry
the seeking or soliciting of favours
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

Word Origin and History for courtship

n.

1570s, "behavior of a courtier," from court (n.) + -ship. Meaning "paying court to a woman with intention of marriage" is from 1590s.

courtship

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}courtship

Examples from the Web for courtship

Contemporary Examples

Everyone showed lots of skin and courtship perfumed the air.

They married on December 19, 2013 after a romantic “Walt Disney” kind of courtship, they both said.

However, the Republican base will be far less forgiving of Paul for his criticism of police policy and his courtship of Sharpton.

One of the lefties she met was a sociology instructor named Philip Rieff, whom she married after a 10-day courtship.

She met Saad a few years later and the two were married in 2003 after a three-month courtship.

Historical Examples

In the third act the courtship of Ferdinand and Miranda is pretty, but hardly more.

I should have a third, but she is surrounded by the blandishments of flattery and courtship.

There is no need for me to dwell upon the history of this courtship.

Refining the courtship, raillery, and conversation of plays!

Let us take one example—the courtship of the Argus pheasant.

courtship

Word Origin and History for courtship

n.

Origin of courtship