ladyship

English

Alternative forms

• Ladyship

Etymology

From Middle English ladyship; equivalent to lady +‎ -ship.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /ˈleɪ.di.ʃɪp/

Noun

ladyship (plural ladyships)

1. Term of respect for a woman of the peerage without using her title.

   "Her ladyship will be unable to attend tonight," he said, with a wink because he hadn't said why.

   • [1877], Anna Sewell, “Earlshall”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC, part II, pages 104–105:

     York got down and said very respectfully, "I beg your pardon, my lady, but these horses have not been reined up for three years, and my lord said it would be safer to bring them to it by degrees; but if your ladyship pleases, I can take them up a little more."

2. (England and Commonwealth) Formal form of address for a lady judge (as opposed to the informal "judge").

Translations

Term of respect

• Finnish: korkeus (fi), ylhäisyys (fi)
• French: La Dame f, Madame (fr) f
• German: Die Herrin f
• Irish: An Bhantiarna f
• Italian: La Signora f
• Latin: Domina f
• Polish: Pani (pl) f
• Portuguese: A Senhora f
• Russian: све́тлость (ru) f (svétlostʹ), ми́лость (ru) f (mílostʹ), миле́ди (ru) f (milédi), благородие (ru) (blagorodije)
• Scottish Gaelic: A' Bhaintighearna f
• Spanish: La Señora f
• Telugu: దొరసానితనము (dorasānitanamu)
• Welsh: Yr Arglwyddes f

See also

• lordship