duchess
Americannoun
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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.
Meghan recently called Lilibet "Mama's little helper", after posting an image of them in what looks like a walk-in wardrobe, where the duchess is trying on a coat while her daughter is crouched down nearby.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
Less of a trial to Muv were Pamela, who seemed happy with a rural life, and Deborah, who wound up a duchess.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
In October, she lost her duchess title when her ex-husband relinquished his Duke of York title over his links with Epstein.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
The former duchess could also have her freedom of the City of York stripped next week, in a further fall from grace.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
The duchess was the great beauty of her age.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
