Meanings
plural maîtresses en titre
- An open or official mistress.First known use 19th c.
General Campion had assigned her to him as maîtresse en titre.
1924, Ford Madox Ford, Some Do Not… (Parade's End), Penguin, published 2012, page 871 more example
In view of the dubious role of a maîtresse en titre, no less a personage than a cousin of the monarch was considered suitable as a sponsor.
1991, Princess Michael of Kent, Cupid and the King, Touchstone, published 2005, page 89
Origin
- Frenchmaîtresse en titre
- Englishmaîtresse en titre
Borrowed from French maîtresse en titre.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
maîtresse en titre. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ma%C3%AEtresse%20en%20titre
“maîtresse en titre.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ma%C3%AEtresse%20en%20titre. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “maîtresse en titre,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ma%C3%AEtresse%20en%20titre.
Source: maîtresse en titre on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.