Meaning & use
courtship
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountableold-fashioned
The time when two people spend time together and build a romantic bond, usually with the hope of getting married.
Grammar: Often uncountable: a long courtship; as a count noun it is rarer: a brief courtship.
Patterns
- the courtship of someone
- a courtship between someone and someone
Their courtship lasted three years, mostly through letters.
In the novel, a quiet courtship develops between the doctor and the schoolteacher.
After a short courtship, they decided to marry in spring.
noununcountablebiology
The behavior animals use to attract a mate and prepare for breeding.
Grammar: Uncountable in biology: courtship is brief in many insects.
Patterns
- courtship display
- courtship ritual
The male bird's courtship involves a dance and a song.
Fireflies use flashing light during courtship.
Researchers filmed the courtship of two albatrosses on a remote island.
nouncountable or uncountablefigurative
The effort of one party to win the support or favor of another, as in business or politics.
Grammar: Often followed by of: the courtship of voters.
Patterns
- the courtship of someone
- courtship of something
The company's courtship of the biggest investor took months.
The senator's courtship of rural voters began early.
The city's courtship of the film studio paid off with new jobs.
Word forms
| plural | courtships |
|---|
Common combinations
- a long courtship
- After a long courtship, they finally became engaged.
- courtship ritual
- The crane's courtship ritual includes leaping and bowing.
- courtship display
- A peacock's tail is part of its courtship display.
- a whirlwind courtship
- Theirs was a whirlwind courtship, and they were married within a month.
- begin a courtship
- They began a courtship soon after meeting at the lake.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: courtship or courtesy?
courtship vs courtesy
Courtesy means polite behavior and has nothing to do with romance, though both words come from the idea of the royal court.
Practice
In which sentence is 'courtship' used in its biological sense?
Choose one answer.
Courtship in biology is the behavior animals use to attract mates, such as the peacock displaying its tail. The first option is about people.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “courtship”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.