COUNTENANCE
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)
Meaning:
The appearance conveyed by a person's face
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Synonyms:
countenance; visage
Context examples:
a pleasant countenance / 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"):
aspect; expression; face; facial expression; look (the feelings expressed on a person's face)
poker face (a face without any interpretable expression (as that of a good poker player))
Meaning:
Formal and explicit approval
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Synonyms:
sanction; imprimatur; countenance; endorsement; indorsement; 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"):
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)
visa (an endorsement made in a passport that allows the bearer to enter the country issuing it)
O.K.; OK; okay; okeh; okey (an endorsement)
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:
visage; physiognomy; smiler; phiz; kisser; mug; countenance
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; GB; 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)
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)
Meaning:
Consent to, give permission
Classified under:
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing
Synonyms:
countenance; permit; allow; let
Context examples:
She permitted her son to visit her estranged husband / I won't let the police search her basement / 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)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "countenance"):
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)
admit; allow in; intromit; let in (allow to enter; grant entry to)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE
