female equivalent of a count or earl
"The royal invitation was addressed to Lady Eleanor, her title as a countess reflecting her husband's rank as an earl."
The wife of a count or earl.
"The historical text referred to her as Countess, but modern editions often update it to countess for consistency."
Alternative letter-case form of countess
The word comes from the Latin comitissa, which is a feminine form derived from comes (count). It entered English through Anglo-Norman and Old French as cuntesse.