viscount

noun

vis·​count ˈvī-ˌkau̇nt How to pronounce viscount (audio)
Synonyms of viscountnext
: a member of the peerage in Great Britain ranking below an earl and above a baron
viscountcy noun
viscounty noun

Examples of viscount in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Visitors had to make their way down a narrow private drive that wound through 650 acres of woods and fields to find the viscount’s villa, but that didn’t stop an enterprising female photographer from taking the photos from a public road 1,500 feet away using a telephoto lens. Christopher Andersen, HollywoodReporter, 5 May 2026 Under the law, the remaining earls, viscounts and dukes who inherited their seats in the chamber along with their aristocratic titles will leave Parliament for good when the current session concludes this spring. Peter Weber, TheWeek, 12 Mar. 2026 Members of the upper chamber dropped their objections to legislation passed by the House of Commons ousting dozens of dukes, earls and viscounts who inherited their seats in the House of Lords, The Associated Press reported. Jared Gans, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2026 On Tuesday night, members of the upper chamber dropped objections to legislation passed by the House of Commons ousting dozens of dukes, earls and viscounts who inherited seats in Parliament along with their aristocratic titles. Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for viscount

Word History

Etymology

Middle English viscounte sheriff, viscount, from Anglo-French visquens, visconte, from Medieval Latin vicecomit-, vicecomes, from Late Latin vice- vice- + comit-, comes count — more at count

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of viscount was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Viscount.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/viscount. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

viscount

noun
vis·​count ˈvī-ˌkau̇nt How to pronounce viscount (audio)
: a British nobleman ranking below an earl and above a baron
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