Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for marquis. Search instead for Marquees.
Jump to:
  • marquis
    marquis
    noun
    a nobleman ranking next below a duke and above an earl or count.
  • Marquis
    Marquis
    noun
    Don(ald Robert Perry), 1878–1937, U.S. humorist and poet.
Synonyms

marquis

1 American  
[mahr-kwis, mahr-kee, mar-kee] / ˈmɑr kwɪs, mɑrˈki, marˈki /

noun

plural

marquises, marquis

  1. a nobleman ranking next below a duke and above an earl or count.

Marquis 2 American  
[mahr-kwis] / ˈmɑr kwɪs /

noun

  1. Don(ald Robert Perry), 1878–1937, U.S. humorist and poet.

Marquis 1 British  
/ ˈmɑːkwɪs /

noun

  1. Don ( ald Robert Perry ). 1878–1937, US humorist; author of archy and mehitabel (1927)

"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
marquis 2 British  
/ ˈmɑːkwɪs, marki, mɑːˈkiː /

noun

  1. (in various countries) a nobleman ranking above a count, corresponding to a British marquess. The title of marquis is often used in place of that of marquess

"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

Etymology

Origin of marquis

1250–1300; Middle English markis < Middle French marquis < Italian marchese < Medieval Latin *( comēs ) marc ( h ) ēnsis (count) of a borderland. See march 2, -ese

Explanation

A marquis is a nobleman. If you're a marquis, your rank is higher than a baron or a count, but lower than a duke or a prince. In systems like monarchies, where people inherit a certain rank, a marquis is one of the title given to men. The French spelling, marquis, is common in most parts of Europe, although in Britain they prefer marquess. Sometimes being a marquis includes some real power to rule a territory, but it's more often just an honorary title. The equivalent for a woman is being a marchioness.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

A 2005 biography of Bradford suggested she was indeed descended from lofty stock by way of her mother, who was, it said, the illegitimate daughter of a marquis.

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2024

What keeps the whole thing from drifting completely off into the ether is how Mrs. Harris and the marquis bond over the loss of a loved one.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 15, 2022

Daly presented her with a five-carat marquis diamond ring.

From Golf Digest • Apr. 20, 2020

An homage to Markle’s sensibilities, the Grace collection features marquis diamond earrings, bracelets, rings and necklaces.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2019

L’Hôpital was so enthralled by the new mathematics that he persuaded Bernoulli to send him all Bernoulli’s new mathematical discoveries for the marquis to use as he desired, in return for cash.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

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.