duchess
Americannoun
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duchesses
plural
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the wife or widow of a duke.
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a woman who holds in her own right the sovereignty or titles of a duchy.
noun
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the wife or widow of a duke
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a woman who holds the rank of duke in her own right
verb
Gender
See -ess.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of duchess
1300–50; Middle English duchesse < Anglo-French, Old French, feminine derivative of duc duke; see -ess
Explanation
A duchess is a female member of a royal or noble family. If a woman marries a duke, she becomes a duchess. Many duchesses inherit their title when they're born — there are still hereditary dukes and duchesses in the U.K., for example. In other cases, a woman marries into a noble family and finds herself with the title. The word duchess comes from the feminine form of the Latin dux, "leader or commander."
Vocabulary lists containing duchess
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.
See Examples For:
"The charitable work of the duke and duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity. In short, their position is akin to private citizens with commercial and charitable interests."
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
They were allowed to keep their duke and duchess of Sussex titles, but lost other monarchy privileges.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
Australian outlet news.com.au, external first reported that one of the reasons behind Harry and Meghan's decision to return to Britain was that the duchess had been offered a job in an upcoming project.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The duchess put her career on hold after her marriage to Prince Harry in May 2018.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
One of the duchess’s kids killed him, but then his twin brother, a commander in the Uruguayan air force who nobody knew existed, showed up and fell in love with the duchess.
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
"From valets to duchesses, from three-piece suits to the Roaring Twenties, there is something for every taste," it boasts on its website.
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
“Love Is a Pink Cake”: Her desserts and cookbooks are beloved by designers and duchesses.
From New York Times ● Apr. 30, 2023
“Snobbery has gone out of fashion, and in our shops you will find duchesses jostling with typists to buy the same dress,” Quant once said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2023
Much newspaper acreage has already been devoted to comparing the duchesses who at face value appear to have so much in common.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 9, 2020
Such contempt for duchesses could only be bred of familiarity.
From The King of Schnorrers Grotesques and Fantasies by Israel Zangwill
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.
