Definition of courtesan Courtesan

cour•te•san

We found 9 definitions of courtesan from 7 different sources.

What does courtesan mean?

Noun
courtesan - a woman who cohabits with an important man
		concubine, doxy, paramour
		kept woman, fancy woman, mistress a woman master who directs the work of others

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

courtesan (Noun)
A woman of a royal or noble court.
courtesan (Noun)
The mistress of a royal or noble.
courtesan (Noun)
A prostitute, especially one with high-status or wealthy clients.

courtesan (n.)
A woman who prostitutes herself for hire; a prostitute; a harlot.

courtesan
A woman who cohabits with an important man, but who is not his wife.

courtesan
-zan, kōrt′e-zan, or kurt′e-zan, n. a court-mistress: a woman of the town, a whore. [Fr.,—It. cortigiana.]

A courtesan was a high-class prostitute or mistress, especially one associated with rich, powerful, or noble men who gifted luxuries and status in exchange for her services. In Renaissance Europe, courtesans played an important role in high class society, sometimes taking the place of wives at social roles. Courtesans usually enjoyed more freedoms than was typical of women at the time. For example, they were did not have money problems and were more independent. Madame de Pompadour (1721–1764), the famous mistress and favorite of King Louis XV of France, is an example of courtesan. Courtesans also existed in many countries outside Europe, like India and Japan.