countenance

1 of 2

noun

coun·​te·​nance ˈkau̇n-tᵊn-ən(t)s 

ˈkau̇nt-nən(t)s

1

a

: look, expression

… a countenance which expressed both good humor and intelligence …

—Sir Walter Scott

b

: mental composure

… startled, and also somewhat out of countenance.

—Arnold Bennett

c

: calm expression

He managed to keep his countenance through the ordeal.

2

: face, visage

especially : the face as an indication of mood, emotion, or character

The photograph showed his somber countenance.

3

: bearing or expression that offers approval or sanction : moral support

… her countenance of their unsafe amusements …

—Jane Austen

4

archaic

a

: aspect, semblance

b

: pretense

5

obsolete : bearing, demeanor

countenance

2 of 2

verb

countenanced; countenancing

transitive verb

: to extend approval or toleration to : sanction

refused to countenance any changes in the policy

countenancer noun

Did you know?

Let’s face it: the countenance familiar to modern speakers does not bear an obvious resemblance to its Latin root continēre, meaning “to hold together” (a root it shares with contain). But the path between continēre and countenance becomes clearer when we think of the figurative “holding together” present in the idea of restraint. When countenance was first used in English (having traveled from Latin through Anglo-French) it referred to a person’s appearance or behavior—their demeanor—which is a product of restraint, or the lack thereof. And from “demeanor” it was just a hop, skip, and a jump to “facial expression.” A few centuries after that development, in the late 16th century, countenance faced a new task head-on—use as a verb meaning “to extend approval or toleration to.”

Synonyms

Noun

• cast
• expression
• face
• look
• visage

Verb

• accept
• approve (of)
• care (for)
• favor
• OK
• okay
• subscribe (to)

Examples of countenance in a Sentence

Noun

… his white countenance was rendered eerie by the redness of the sagging lids below his eyes … —John Updike, The Afterlife, 1994

You could see it in his frame and deportment … a beaming countenance, expansive salutations, a warm handshake … —Simon Schama, Granta, Autumn 1990

All, all are kind to me but their tones fall strangely on my ear & their countenances meet mine not like home faces … —Emily Dickinson 17 Feb. 1848, in Selected Letters,  (1914) 1986

Before receiving him, Henry had so possessed himself that no one could guess from his countenance with what sentiments he remembered the young king. —Amy Kelly, Eleanor of Aquitaine and the Four Kings, 1950

The photograph showed his somber countenance.

a pleasant countenance that puts visitors at ease

Verb

But there are only two logical choices …  . If you can't countenance the first, you have to accept the second. —Anna Quindlen, Newsweek, 6 Aug. 2007

… the constellation of family emotions—love, obedience, rivalry, repression—can turn a family into a moral system of its own in which even the greatest horrors can be countenanced in the name of loyalty and love … —Scott Turow, Times Literary Supplement, 15 Mar. 1991

They disapproved of the marriage, and could not be expected to countenance it. —Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, 1891

I don't countenance such behavior in children of any age.

countenanced the delays and inconveniences of traveling by air with good grace

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The portrait, at once regal and vulnerable, shows Ellis gazing upward with a vacant countenance as his head rests on what is perhaps the arm of a couch. —Jackson Davidow, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019

Instead, the Captain’s countenance oscillates between passivity and pathos, with none of the shrewd intellect expected of a spy. —Terry Nguyen, Vulture, 5 May 2024

Verb

Not only would shareholders have not countenanced such mindless spending on what had lost the market, but there’s no way a company like Apple would have risked its own forward-looking brand on what in so many ways embodied the past. —John Tamny, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024

The military would like to see much of the status quo maintained and will not countenance major reform; in the absence of such reform, Bangladesh may end up in the same place in a few years. —Ali Riaz, Foreign Affairs, 6 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English contenance, from Anglo-French cuntenance, contenance, from Medieval Latin continentia, from Latin, restraint, from continent-, continens, present participle of continēre to hold together — more at contain

Verb

derivative of countenance entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Verb

1568, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

countenance

1 of 2 noun

coun·​te·​nance ˈkau̇nt-ᵊn-ənts 

ˈkau̇nt-nənts

1

a

: calm expression

b

: calmness of mind

2

a

: face entry 1 sense 1

b

: an expression on the face

especially : a facial expression as a sign of mood, emotion, or character

3

: a show of approval

gave no countenance to the plan

countenance

2 of 2 verb

countenanced; countenancing

: tolerate sense 1, encourage

refused to countenance their behavior