# marquis

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmɑː.kwɪs/ · frequency rank #16,073

## Definitions
1. A nobleman in England, France, and Germany, of a rank next below that of duke, but above a count. Originally, the marquis was an officer whose duty was to guard the marches or frontiers of the kingdom. The office has ceased, and the name is now a mere title conferred by letters patent or letters close.
2. Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Asian genus Bassarona (or Euthalia).

## Etymology
From Middle English markis, from Old French markis, marchis, from Late Latin marchensis, from Old High German marcha and Frankish *marku, from Proto-Germanic *markō, from Proto-Indo-European *mórǵs (“edge, boundary”).
Meaning is “lord of the march”, in sense of march (“border country”).

## Easily confused with
- **marquise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marquis-vs-marquise)
- **Maris** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/maris-vs-marquis)
- **Marcus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marcus-vs-marquis)
- **Markus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/markus-vs-marquis)
- **Marius** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marius-vs-marquis)
- **marais** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marais-vs-marquis)
- **marque** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marque-vs-marquis)
- **marquee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marquee-vs-marquis)
- **marquess** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marquess-vs-marquis)

## Common misspellings (10)
`amrquis`, `maqruis`, `marqius`, `marqquis`, `marquiss`, `marqusi`, `marrquis`, `maruqis`, `mmarquis`, `mraquis`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/marquis