château

noun

châ·​teau sha-ˈtō How to pronounce château (audio)
plural châteaus sha-ˈtōz How to pronounce château (audio) or châteaux sha-ˈtō(z) How to pronounce château (audio)
Synonyms of châteaunext
1
: a feudal castle or fortress in France
2
: a large country house : mansion
3
: a French vineyard estate

Synonyms of château

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Examples of château in a Sentence

a gorgeous château on a hill
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But in the late 1800s, the city’s draw was healing mineral springs, not IPAs, which is why George Vanderbilt built his lavish 250-room French Renaissance chateau here. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Oct. 2026 Inside, the living room is anchored by an intricate 18th-century limestone fireplace from a chateau in France’s Loire Valley. — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2026 Bits of narration from an offscreen speaker give the film a fairytale feel, a vibe matched by the rustic splendor of its chateau setting, where Camilo (García Bernal) lives with his athlete wife Jauna (Esmerelda Pimentel) and baby daughter. — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026 After that perfect airport rapprochement, Edwards and I tailed them to Jagger’s chateau near Amboise in the Loire Valley. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for château

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French chastel, Latin castellum fortress

First Known Use

1720, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of château was in 1720

Browse Nearby Words

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château
château bottled
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Cite this Entry

“Château.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ch%C3%A2teau. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

château

noun
châ·​teau sha-ˈtō How to pronounce château (audio)
plural châteaus -ˈtōz How to pronounce château (audio) or châteaux -ˈtō(z) How to pronounce château (audio)
: a castle or a large country house especially in France
Etymology

French, from early French chastel "castle," from Latin castellum "fortress" — related to castle

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