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 Duke of Sussex spoke about the move in an interview with GQ’s Zach Baron, explaining that he and the duchess of Sussex returned to Britain for “opportunities for the family.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
"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
It says an apparent deal for the duchess to star in Netflix series The Gentlemen is worth £1m but the "big deal could be off".
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
The movie star Clark Gable visited the hotel, and I once got to meet a duke and duchess from England.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
"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
Strong, independent women now thrive, which isn’t easy when duchesses are your livelihood.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 13, 2015
But they held themselves erect and walked with a gait duchesses might have envied.
From By Veldt and Kopje by W. C. (William Charles) Scully
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
