Meaning & use
marquess
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Meaning
nouncountableBritish
A man of noble rank in Britain, above an earl and below a duke.
Grammar: Used as a title with a place name: the Marquess of Bath; it is capitalized when part of a name.
Patterns
- the Marquess of somewhere
The marquess inherited the estate and its three hundred rooms from his father.
A portrait of the first marquess hangs in the main hall.
The marquess opened the gardens to visitors every summer.
Word forms
| plural | marquesses |
|---|
Common combinations
- the Marquess of
- The Marquess of Anglesey lived at Plas Newydd.
- first marquess
- The first marquess received the title as a reward for loyal service.
- marquess and marchioness
- The marquess and marchioness welcomed guests at the door.
- hereditary marquess
- As a hereditary marquess, he once had a seat in the House of Lords.
- create someone marquess
- The king created him marquess in 1815.
Synonyms and how they differ
- marquis
- This variant spelling is used for some British titles and for noblemen of the same rank from France, so the two forms are interchangeable in meaning but not always in titles.
- nobleman
- It is a general word for any man of noble rank, so it does not tell you the specific title.
- peer
- It covers dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts and barons, so it is broader than 'marquess'.
- lord
- It is how a marquess is commonly addressed, and it can also describe any peer, which makes it less precise.
Word family
- marchioness noun
- the wife of a marquess, or a woman holding the rank herself
- marquessate noun
- the rank or title of a marquess
- marquis noun
- alternative spelling of marquess
- marquise noun
- the French form for a marchioness
Commonly confused: marquess or marquee?
marquess vs marquee
A marquee is a large tent for parties or a sign over a theater entrance. It is pronounced differently, with the stress at the end.
Practice
In the British peerage, a marquess ranks directly below a ____.
Choose one answer.
A marquess is below a duke and above an earl. 'Earl' is the tempting wrong choice because it is the rank just below a marquess.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “marquess”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.