Countess vs. Marchioness — What's the Difference?

A woman holding the title of count or earl.

The wife or widow of a marquess.

The wife or widow of a count in various European countries.

A noblewoman ranking above a countess and below a duchess. Also called marquise.

The wife or widow of an earl in Great Britain.

Used as a title for such a noblewoman.

Used as a title for such a noblewoman.

The wife of a marquess.

The wife of a count or earl.

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

A woman holding the rank of count or earl in her own right; a female holder of an earldom.

An old-fashioned maid-of-all-work; female servant.

The wife of an earl in the British peerage, or of a count in the Continental nobility; also, a lady possessed of the same dignity in her own right. See the Note under Count.

The wife or the widow of a marquis; a woman who has the rank and dignity of a marquis.

Female equivalent of a count or earl

The wife or widow of a marquis

A noblewoman ranking below a duchess and above a countess