as in prostitute
a woman who engages in sexual activities for money
the protagonist of the novel is a composite of several real-life courtesans who plied their trade among the decadent aristocracy
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Recent Examples of courtesan
Marquise de Merteuil, betrayed by Valmont, embarks on a daring journey to become Paris’ leading courtesan.
—
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2024
By Shannon Carlin August 1, 2024 8:16 AM EDT
The title of high-school teacher turned award-winning author Jeannie Lin’s 2013 historical romance, The Lotus Palace, refers to the home of the courtesans in Tang Dynasty China.
—Shannon Carlin, TIME, 1 Aug. 2024
The second story, which takes place in 1911, features Shu Qi as a singing courtesan living in a brothel.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2024
Heartbroken, Devdas descends into alcoholism and finds solace with a courtesan named Chandramukhi.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for courtesan 
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“Courtesan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courtesan. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
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