poetess

noun

po·​et·​ess ˈpō-ə-təs How to pronounce poetess (audio)
ˈpō-i-,
 also  ˈpȯ(-)i-
: a girl or woman who is a poet

Examples of poetess in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web During Monday’s broadcast of TODAY, genealogy company Ancestry revealed that the Evermore singer is related to a major figure in American literature: Emily Dickinson, the prolific poetess who penned nearly 1800 poems in her time. Shania Russell, EW.com, 4 Mar. 2024 Louvre Richelieu Wing Palette For the makeup palette, Lancôme celebrated the sculpture of Corine, Greek poetess of the 5th century BC presented in the Richelieu wing of the Louvre. India Espy-Jones, Essence, 25 Aug. 2023 Though Orton, in concert later this week at the Irish American Heritage Center, is rightly admired as a poetess of British folk-rock, her closest analog might be a poetess of Francophone cinema: Claire Denis. Matthew Richards, Chicago Tribune, 7 Nov. 2022 To those who know, Patti Smith, pioneering punk poetess and rock star without peer or precedent, requires no introduction. Jem Aswad, Variety, 1 June 2022 Reimagined as a flowing gown, the look has a new verve, one that speaks to Kente’s timelessness and the youthful exuberance of 23-year-old poetess. Vogue, 7 Apr. 2021 Sarojini Naidu, poetess, and Madeline Slade, the British admiral's daughter who has been Gandhi's devoted follower for 17 years. Mme. Lily Rothman, Time, 9 Aug. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'poetess.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of poetess was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near poetess

Cite this Entry

“Poetess.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poetess. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

poetess

noun
po·​et·​ess ˈpō-ət-əs How to pronounce poetess (audio)
-it-
: a girl or woman who writes poetry

More from Merriam-Webster on poetess

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