1. An Italian nobleman of rank equivalent to a marquis; a title of nobility in Italy.
Usage: Italian title of nobility; Feminine form: marchesa

Examples

• The marchese owned vast estates in Tuscany.
• She married a marchese and became a marchesa.
• The marchese was invited to the royal court.
• In Italian nobility, a marchese ranks below a duke but above a count.
• The marchese's family had ruled the region for centuries.