Standard Lemma guide

viscountess

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈvaɪkaʊntəs/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The wife of a viscount.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A woman holding the rank of viscount in her own right.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Before his own elevation to an earldom, Disraeli's wife was created Viscountess Beaconsfield by Queen Victoria.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a noblewoman holding the rank of viscount in her own right

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: peer

Narrower terms: Astor, Nancy Witcher Astor, Viscountess Astor

4

noun

Meaning 4

a wife or widow of a viscount

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: wife, married woman

History

Etymology

From Middle English viscountes, viscountesse, probably from Middle French viscontesse; equivalent to viscount + -ess. Doublet of vicomtesse.

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Esperanto: vicgrafino — viscount's wife
  • Finnish: varakreivitär — viscount's wife
  • French: vicomtesse — viscount's wife
  • Irish: bíocuntaois — viscount's wife
  • Italian: viscontessa — viscount's wife
  • Japanese: 子爵 (shishaku) — viscount's wife
  • Macedonian: виконте́са (vikontésa) — viscount's wife
  • Portuguese: viscondessa — viscount's wife
  • Romanian: vicontesă — viscount's wife
  • Spanish: vizcondesa — viscount's wife
  • Tagalog: biskondesa — viscount's wife
  • Welsh: is-iarlles — viscount's wife
  • Esperanto: vicgrafino — a woman holding the rank of viscount in her own right
  • French: vicomtesse — a woman holding the rank of viscount in her own right
  • Irish: bíocuntaois — a woman holding the rank of viscount in her own right
  • Italian: viscontessa — a woman holding the rank of viscount in her own right
  • Japanese: 子爵 (shishaku) — a woman holding the rank of viscount in her own right
  • Manx: lhiass-ven-eearley — a woman holding the rank of viscount in her own right
  • Polish: wicehrabina — a woman holding the rank of viscount in her own right
  • Portuguese: viscondessa — a woman holding the rank of viscount in her own right
  • Welsh: is-iarlles — a woman holding the rank of viscount in her own right