courtship

noun

court·​ship ˈkȯrt-ˌship How to pronounce courtship (audio)
Synonyms of courtshipnext
: the act, process, or period of courting

Synonyms of courtship

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of courtship in a Sentence

They had a two-year courtship before marrying. The male of the species often displays aggression during courtship. the President's courtship of middle-class voters
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.
Through it all, the growth of dating apps has changed how courtship is practiced. — Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 27 June 2026 Dating, courtship, fun, hobbies, creativity, sports and games will all be on the top of your mind. — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026 The ring of pastry was crisp and impressively puffed, like a peacock’s display of courtship. — The Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 June 2026 Notably, female mantids sometimes kill males during courtship. — Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for courtship

Word History

First Known Use

1596, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of courtship was in 1596

Rhymes for courtship

See All Rhymes for courtship

Browse Nearby Words

courts baron
courtship
court shoe
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Courtship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courtship. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

courtship

noun
court·​ship -ˌship How to pronounce courtship (audio)
: the act or process of courting

More from Merriam-Webster on courtship

Nglish: Translation of courtship for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about courtship

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All