1. The wife or widow of a marquis; a woman who holds the rank of marquis in her own right.
Usage: Italian title of nobility; Feminine form of 'marchese'

Examples

• The marchesa presided over the grand ball at her family's estate.
• She became a marchesa after her marriage to the Italian nobleman.
• The marchesa's jewels were displayed in the museum's special exhibition.
• As a marchesa, she held considerable influence in Venetian society.
• The title of marchesa has been in her family for generations.