château

noun

châ·​teau sha-ˈtō How to pronounce château (audio)
plural châteaus sha-ˈtōz How to pronounce château (audio) or châteaux sha-ˈtō(z) How to pronounce château (audio)
1
: a feudal castle or fortress in France
2
: a large country house : mansion
3
: a French vineyard estate

Examples of château in a Sentence

a gorgeous château on a hill
Recent Examples on the Web The sale includes all the different wines produced at the chateau over the past 100 years, including Châteaux Laville Haut-Brion, La Tour Haut-Brion, and La Chapelle de La Mission Haut-Brion. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2024 Numerous families and owners have made their mark on the chateau during its over 800 year history, including by its current owner, Jean-Claude Lavorel, who added modern luxuries such as a spa, contemporary suites, and a glass roof over the inner courtyard. Allix Cott, Architectural Digest, 18 Oct. 2024 The 24-year-old F1 star shows off the luxury travel brand’s new Turin collection ($250 to $1,495) of textured black leather backpacks, sling bags and more high-performance accessories at an oceanside French chateau. Danielle Directo-Meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Oct. 2024 By Thursday, June 13, the front lines had shifted as far south as his chateau at Chantilly. Sam Roberts, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2015 Savor fresh French cuisine The chateau’s seasonal and mostly local food is one of the highlights of a stay. Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024 The ex-Hollywood super couple quickly became locked in a bitter, years-long legal battle over custody and their winery and chateau in the South of France. Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 30 July 2024 Surrounded by vineyards, the secluded chateau is a buyout-only private retreat. Forbes Travel Guide, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024 The chateau was built using rough-cut Fall River granite that gave the home an almost rugged look and feel—a far cry from the other seaside villas in Newport. Claudia Williams, Architectural Digest, 6 Aug. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

French, from Old French chastel, Latin castellum fortress

First Known Use

1720, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of château was in 1720

Dictionary Entries Near château

Cite this Entry

“Château.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ch%C3%A2teau. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

château

noun
châ·​teau sha-ˈtō How to pronounce château (audio)
plural châteaus -ˈtōz How to pronounce château (audio) or châteaux -ˈtō(z) How to pronounce château (audio)
: a castle or a large country house especially in France
Etymology

French, from early French chastel "castle," from Latin castellum "fortress" — related to castle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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