Noun: marchioness maa(r)-shu-nus [N. Amer], 'maa(r)-shun,es [Brit]
- A noblewoman ranking below a duchess and above a countess
"The marchioness attended the royal ball in her finest jewels";
- marquise
- The wife or widow of a marquis
"The marchioness oversaw the management of the family's vast estates"
Derived forms: marchionesses
Type of: Lady [Brit], married woman, noblewoman [Brit], peeress [Brit], wife, wifey [informal]
Encyclopedia: Marchioness