What does courtezan mean?
A courtezan is a woman who sells sexual favors, particularly one linked to wealthy, noble, or powerful clients — in effect, the older spelling of the word now written as courtesan. The term belongs chiefly to historical and literary English: it appears throughout Renaissance and early modern texts, including Shakespeare, where it denotes both prostitutes in general and the more glamorous class of women maintained by princes and patricians. Because of this heritage, 'courtezan' carries connotations that go beyond mere prostitution — it suggests elegance, wit, and social access, sometimes even political influence. In contemporary usage the spelling is regarded as archaic, and writers who reach for it are usually quoting older sources or evoking a period flavor deliberately. Anyone encountering the word today will almost always find it in editions of classic drama, historical fiction set in cities such as Venice or Rome, or scholarly discussion of sexuality and class in past centuries.
nounA courtezan is a prostitute, especially one associated with wealthy or noble clients; the spelling is an older variant of 'courtesan'. In historical and literary usage it often denotes a woman of loose morals kept by a man of rank.
- A prostitute or promiscuous woman, especially one who associates with wealthy or aristocratic clients (historical/literary usage)
- An archaic variant spelling of 'courtesan', encountered mainly in older literature
"In Renaissance Venice, the wealthy courtezan occupied a curious place between society's margins and its salons."
"The play portrays a witty, influential courtezan who moves easily among cardinals and merchants."
"Restoration comedies frequently cast the repentant courtezan as a figure of both satire and pathos."
The plural simply adds -s; note again that this applies equally to the standard spelling 'courtesans'.
"The chronicle describes the courtezans who attended the Doge's banquets."
"Courtezan" isn't a separate word at all — it's the ghost spelling of "courtesan," still haunting Shakespeare-era texts four centuries after it fell out of fashion.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of courtezan
The word derives from French 'courtisane', which itself comes from Italian 'cortigiana', meaning a woman of the court, from 'cortigiano' (courtier) — ultimately rooted in Latin 'cohors', meaning a court or enclosure. It entered English in the sixteenth century, during the Renaissance, when contact with Italian culture made such figures prominent in European imagination. The '-ezan' ending reflects an anglicized adaptation of the French form rather than the later standard 'courtesan'. Cognates include the Italian cortigiana and the French courtisane, all pointing back to the same courtly origin.
Related word forms
How courtezan is actually used
The spelling 'courtezan' is now considered archaic or erroneous; modern writing uses 'courtesan'. The word carries strongly literary and historical connotations and should not be used casually. Like 'courtesan', it can imply a cultivated woman attached to powerful patrons rather than an ordinary street prostitute.
Easily confused with courtezan
'Courtesan' is the standard modern spelling for a high-class prostitute or mistress; 'courtezan' is an older, now largely obsolete variant of the same word.