citizenessn.
/ˌsɪtᵻzəˈnɛs/, U.S. /ˈsɪdᵻzənəs/, /ˈsɪdᵻsənəs/ A female citizen. Sometimes spec. as a title or form of address for a female French citizen during the French Revolution (see citizen n. 2c). Cf. citess n.
ΘΚΠ
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabitant > inhabitant according to environment > town- or city-dweller > [noun]
borough-manc1000
city mana1400
townsman1433
town manc1475
town dweller1484
oppidan?1548
burgher?1555
townsfolk1562
townsfolk1592
townswoman1612
town liver1620
town folk1679
citess1685
citizeness1754
citizette1798
townie1825
urban1835
townskip1837
townsperson1840
urbanite1892
burgheress1901
society > law > legal right > right of specific class, person, or place > [noun] > status or rights of being a citizen > one possessing > woman
burgoisec1330
citizeness1754
1754 Admon. from Dead xviii. 242 The Citizenesses of London give their Service to the Parliament.
1796 Monthly Rev. 20 App. 569 The bleaching-troughs of the citizeness Masson.
1861 ‘F. G. Trafford’ City & Suburb III. 10 It would not suit, uncle, for me to be a citizeness now.
1878 H. B. Stowe Poganuc People xi. 96 Difficult to get any of the free democratic citizens or citizenesses to come.
1900 J. K. Jerome Three Men on Bummel viii. 173 The French nation saw the English citizen and citizeness—no caricature, but the living reality—and their indignation exploded in laughter.
1934 I. Gershwin Life begins at City Hall in Compl. Lyrics (1993) 230/3 And now, citizens and citizenesses, a vocal offering by the Civic Choral Society.
1999 Evening Standard (Nexis) 28 Jan. 28 In next Sunday's episode the Pimpernel encounters citizeness Gabrielle Damiens.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2014; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1754