Marquess
Hereditary rank in various European peerages / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Several terms redirect here. For other uses, see Marchesa (disambiguation), Marchese (disambiguation), Marchioness (disambiguation), Marquis (disambiguation), Marquise (disambiguation), Marquesa (disambiguation), and Marquess (disambiguation).
A marquess (UK: /ˈmɑː(r)kwɪs/;[1] French: marquis [maʁki])[2][lower-alpha 1] is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German-language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or widow) of a marquess is a marchioness or marquise. These titles are also used to translate equivalent Asian styles, as in Imperial China and Imperial Japan.