COUNTENANCE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does countenance mean? 

• COUNTENANCE (noun)
  The noun COUNTENANCE has 3 senses:

1. the appearance conveyed by a person's face

2. formal and explicit approval

3. the human face ('kisser' and 'smiler' and 'mug' are informal terms for 'face' and 'phiz' is British)

  Familiarity information: COUNTENANCE used as a noun is uncommon.

• COUNTENANCE (verb)
  The verb COUNTENANCE has 1 sense:

1. consent to, give permission

  Familiarity information: COUNTENANCE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COUNTENANCE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The appearance conveyed by a person's face

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

countenance; visage

Context example:

a stern visage

Hypernyms ("countenance" is a kind of...):

appearance; visual aspect (outward or visible aspect of a person or thing)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "countenance"):

poker face (a face without any interpretable expression (as that of a good poker player))

aspect; expression; face; facial expression; look (the feelings expressed on a person's face)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Formal and explicit approval

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

countenance; endorsement; imprimatur; indorsement; sanction; warrant

Context example:

a Democrat usually gets the union's endorsement

Hypernyms ("countenance" is a kind of...):

approval; commendation (a message expressing a favorable opinion)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "countenance"):

O.K.; OK; okay; okeh; okey (an endorsement)

visa (an endorsement made in a passport that allows the bearer to enter the country issuing it)

nihil obstat (the phrase used by the official censor of the Roman Catholic Church to say that a publication has been examined and contains nothing offensive to the church)

Derivation:

countenance (consent to, give permission)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The human face ('kisser' and 'smiler' and 'mug' are informal terms for 'face' and 'phiz' is British)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

countenance; kisser; mug; phiz; physiognomy; smiler; visage

Hypernyms ("countenance" is a kind of...):

face; human face (the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear)

Domain region:

Britain; Great Britain; U.K.; UK; United Kingdom; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; 'Great Britain' is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom)

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "countenance"):

pudding-face; pudding face (a large fat human face)

Holonyms ("countenance" is a part of...):

human head (the head of a human being)

• COUNTENANCE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they countenance    ... he / she / it countenances   
Past simple: countenanced   
Past participle: countenanced   
-ing form: countenancing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Consent to, give permission

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

allow; countenance; let; permit

Context example:

I cannot allow you to see your exam

Hypernyms (to "countenance" is one way to...):

accept; consent; go for (give an affirmative reply to; respond favorably to)

Verb group:

allow; grant (let have)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "countenance"):

admit; allow in; intromit; let in (allow to enter; grant entry to)

trust (allow without fear)

decriminalise; decriminalize; legalise; legalize; legitimate; legitimatise; legitimatize; legitimise; legitimize (make legal)

favor; favour; privilege (bestow a privilege upon)

admit; include; let in (allow participation in or the right to be part of; permit to exercise the rights, functions, and responsibilities of)

authorise; authorize; clear; pass (grant authorization or clearance for)

allow; permit; tolerate (allow the presence of or allow (an activity) without opposing or prohibiting)

give (allow to have or take)

furlough (grant a leave to)

abide; bear; brook; digest; endure; put up; stand; stick out; stomach; suffer; support; tolerate (put up with something or somebody unpleasant)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

Derivation:

countenance (formal and explicit approval)

 Context examples 

Catherine heard all this, and quite out of countenance, could listen no longer.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

I wish you could have overheard her tribute of praise; I wish you could have seen her countenance, when she said that you should be Henry's wife.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

He knew us by our countenances to be Englishmen, and jabbering to us in his own language, swore we should be tied back to back and thrown into the sea.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Captain Harville was a tall, dark man, with a sensible, benevolent countenance; a little lame; and from strong features and want of health, looking much older than Captain Wentworth.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

M. Krempe was a little squat man with a gruff voice and a repulsive countenance; the teacher, therefore, did not prepossess me in favour of his pursuits.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Mina struggled hard to keep her brave countenance; but the pain overmastered her and she put her hands before her face, and shuddered whilst she moaned.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

So we are to countenance things and people which we detest, merely because we are not belles and millionaires, are we?

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

She was a woman in the prime of life; of a severe countenance; and subject (particularly in the arms) to a sort of perpetual measles or fiery rash.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

A moment later he emerged, a heavy-set young fellow of eighteen or nineteen, with a glowering, villainous countenance, trailing at his heels.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Lord John, I trust that you will not countenance such madness?

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)