dowager

American  

[dou-uh-jer] / ˈdaʊ ə dʒər /

noun

1. a woman who holds some title or property from her deceased husband, especially the widow of a king, duke, etc. (often used as an additional title to differentiate her from the wife of the present king, duke, etc.).

   a queen dowager; an empress dowager.

2. an elderly woman of stately dignity, especially one of elevated social position.

   a wealthy dowager.

---

adjective

1. noting, pertaining to, or characteristic of a dowager.

   the dowager duchess; to prefer a dowager style of dress.

dowager British  

/ ˈdaʊədʒə /

noun

1. 1. a widow possessing property or a title obtained from her husband

   2. ( as modifier )

      the dowager duchess

2. a wealthy or dignified elderly woman

---

Other Word Forms

• dowagerism
  noun

Etymology

Origin of dowager

1520–30; < Middle French douag ( i ) ere, equivalent to douage dower ( see endow, -age) + -iere, feminine of -ier -ier ²

Explanation

A dowager is a serious-minded older woman, especially one who is a wealthy widow. In some countries, the widow of a king was historically known as the Queen dowager. Dowager is an old-fashioned term of respect for a woman whose husband died and left her money and property, and often a title as well. The wife of a now-deceased count might have been known (and addressed) as a dowager countess, for example. In the old days, this title was useful since it distinguished a widow from the wife of the heir to her late husband's title. The heir's wife would be the duchess, while the widow would be the dowager duchess.

Example Sentences

“Seeing all of you enjoy it so much, I couldn’t ask for more,” says Yeon, before addressing the Grand Queen Dowager, “May you always be safe in good health.”

From Salon • Oct. 26, 2025

To embody the idea of filial piety to appeal to the Grand Queen Dowager, Yeon creates doenjang-guk, a traditional soybean paste stew, but adds two special ingredients: spinach and clams.

From Salon • Oct. 26, 2025

In her later years, she was the imperious Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey, and Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films.

From BBC • Dec. 28, 2024

The stage design for the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday is more Doctor Strange modern and less Dowager Countess musty.

From New York Times • Mar. 9, 2023

But the three most distinguished—partly, perhaps, because the tallest figures of the band—were the Dowager Lady Ingram and her daughters, Blanche and Mary.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Related Words

• matron