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countenance

Contents

EnglishEdit

WOTD – 7 May 2009

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman countenance, from Old French, from the present participle of contenir, or from Late Latin continentia, and therefore a doublet of continence.

PronunciationEdit

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈkaʊn.tɪ.nəns/, /ˈkaʊn.tən.əns/
  • Audio (US)
    		(file)

NounEdit

countenance (countable and uncountable, plural countenances)

  1. Appearance, especially the features and expression of the face.
    • 1611, Bible (King James Version):
      , Genesis 4:5
      But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
    • 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax:
      But Richmond, his grandfather's darling, after one thoughtful glance cast under his lashes at that uncompromising countenance appeared to lose himself in his own reflections.
  2. Favour; support; encouragement.
    • Bible, Psalms xxi. 6
      Thou hast made him […] glad with thy countenance.
    • Francis Atterbury (1663-1732)
      This is the magistrate's peculiar province, to give countenance to piety and virtue, and to rebuke vice.
  3. (obsolete) Superficial appearance; show; pretense.
    • Roger Ascham (1515-1568)
      The election being done, he made countenance of great discontent thereat.
  4. calm facial expression, composure, self-control

SynonymsEdit

Derived termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

VerbEdit

countenance (third-person singular simple present countenances, present participle countenancing, simple past and past participle countenanced)

  1. (transitive) To tolerate, support, sanction, patronise or approve of something.
    The cruel punishment was countenanced by the government, although it was not officially legal.
    • 1925, Franz Kafka, The Trial, Vintage Books (London), pg. 99:
      For the Defence was not actually countenanced by the Law, but only tolerated, and there were differences of opinion even on that point, whether the Law could be interpreted to admit such tolerances at all.

SynonymsEdit

TranslationsEdit

ReferencesEdit

Old FrenchEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From contenant, the present participle of contenir, with the suffix -ance, corresponding to Late Latin continentia. See also continence.

NounEdit

countenance f (oblique plural countenances, nominative singular countenance, nominative plural countenances)

  1. (Anglo-Norman) appearance; countenance
    • e moustre par contenance q'il ad honte de ceo q'il ad fet
      And he showed by his appearance that he was ashamed of what he had done.

Related termsEdit

DescendantsEdit

ReferencesEdit

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