Adjacent Words

Countenance definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

COUNTENANCE, n. [L., to hold.]
1. Literally, the contents of a body; the outline and extent which constitutes the whole figure or external appearance. Appropriately, the human face; the whole form of the face, or system of features; visage.
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance. Proverbs 15.
Be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance. Matthew 6.
2. Air; look; aspect; appearance of the face; as in the phrase, to change or alter the countenance.
3. The face or look of a beast; as a horse of a good countenance.
4. Favor; good will; kindness.
Thou hast made him glad with thy countenance. Psalms 21.
Hence in scriptural language, the light of Gods countenance is his smiles or favorable regards, his favor and grace; and to hide his face or countenance is to manifest his displeasure, and withdraw his gracious aids. So the rebuke of his countenance indicates his anger and frowns. Psalms 80.
This application of face or countenance, which seems to be of high antiquity, proceeded probably from the practice of turning away the face to express anger, displeasure and refusal; a practice still common, but probably universal among rude nations. The opposite conduct would of course express favor. The grant of a petition is accompanied with a look directed to the petitioner; the refusal or denial, with an averted face. Hence,
5. Support; aid; patronage; encouragement; favor in promoting and maintaining a person or cause.
It is the province of the magistrate, to give countenance to piety and virtue.
Let religion enjoy the countenance of the laws.
Give no countenance to violations of moral duty.
6. Show; resemblance; superficial appearance.
The election being done, he made countenance of great discontent thereat.
7. In law, credit or estimation.
To keep the countenance, is to preserve a calm, composed or natural look, unruffled by passion; to refrain from expressing laughter, joy, anger or other passion, by an unchanged countenance.
In countenance, in favor; in estimation.
If the profession of religion were in countenance among men of distinction, it would have a happy effect on society.
To keep in countenance, to give assurance or courage to; to support; to aid by favor; to prevent from shame or dismay.
To put in countenance, to give assurance; to encourage; or to bring into favor; to support.
Out of countenance, confounded; abashed; with the countenance cast down; not bold or assured.
To put out of countenance, to cause the countenance to fall; to abash; to intimidate; to disconcert.
COUNTENANCE, v.t.
1. To favor; to encourage by opinion or words.
The design was made known to the minister, but he said nothing to countenance it.
2. To aid; to support; to encourage; to abet; to vindicate; by any means.
Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. Exodus 23.
3. To encourage; to appear in defense.
He countenanced the landing in his long boat.
4. To make a show of.
Each to these ladies love did countenance.
5. To keep an appearance.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the appearance conveyed by a person's face; "a pleasant countenance"; "a stern visage" [syn: countenance, visage]
2: formal and explicit approval; "a Democrat usually gets the union's endorsement" [syn: sanction, countenance, endorsement, indorsement, warrant, imprimatur]
3: the human face (`kisser' and `smiler' and `mug' are informal terms for `face' and `phiz' is British) [syn: countenance, physiognomy, phiz, visage, kisser, smiler, mug] v
1: consent to, give permission; "She permitted her son to visit her estranged husband"; "I won't let the police search her basement"; "I cannot allow you to see your exam" [syn: permit, allow, let, countenance] [ant: disallow, forbid, interdict, nix, prohibit, proscribe, veto]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English contenance, from Anglo-French cuntenance, contenance, from Medieval Latin continentia, from Latin, restraint, from continent-, continens, present participle of contin?re to hold together — more at contain Date: 13th century 1. obsolete bearing, demeanor 2. a. calm expression b. mental composure c. look, expression 3. archaic a. aspect, semblance b. pretense 4. face, visage; especially the face as an indication of mood, emotion, or character 5. bearing or expression that offers approval or sanction ; moral support II. transitive verb (-nanced; -nancing) Date: 1568 to extend approval or toleration to ; sanction <refused to countenance any changes in the policy> • countenancer noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a the face. b the facial expression. 2 composure. 3 moral support. --v.tr. 1 give approval to (an act etc.) (cannot countenance this breach of the rules). 2 (often foll. by in) encourage (a person or a practice). Phrases and idioms: change countenance alter one's expression as an effect of emotion. keep one's countenance maintain composure, esp. by refraining from laughter. keep a person in countenance support or encourage a person. lose countenance become embarrassed. out of countenance disconcerted. Etymology: ME f. AF c(o)untenance, OF contenance bearing f. contenir: see CONTAIN

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Countenance Coun"te*nance (koun"t?-nans), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Countenanced (-nanst); p. pr. & vb. n. Countenancing.] 1. To encourage; to favor; to approve; to aid; to abet. This conceit, though countenanced by learned men, is not made out either by experience or reason. --Sir T. Browne. Error supports custom, custom countenances error. --Milton. 2. To make a show of; to pretend. [Obs.] Which to these ladies love did countenance. --Spenser.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(countenances, countenancing, countenanced) 1. If someone will not countenance something, they do not agree with it and will not allow it to happen. (FORMAL) Jake would not countenance Janis's marrying while still a student. VERB: usu with brd-neg, V n 2. Someone's countenance is their face. (LITERARY) N-COUNT

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

koun'-te-nans:

(1) The noun (see also under the word FACE) is the translation of a variety of Hebrew and Greek expressions, panim; prosopon, being the most frequent. Besides these there are found mar'eh, "appearance," "shape," "comeliness," "visage," `ayin, "the eye," to'ar, "appearance," "figure," etc., and Aramaic ziw. To the Oriental the countenance mirrors, even more than to us, the character and feelings of the heart. The countenance (mar'eh) is"fair" (1Sa 17:42; 2Sa 14:27; Da 1:15); in 1Sa 16:12, literally, "fair of eyes"; "comely" (So 2:14); "beautiful" (~to'ar, 1Sa 25:3); "cheerful" (panim, Pr 15:13); "angry" (Pr 15:23); "fierce" (Da 8:23); "troubled" (Eze 27:35); "sad" (1Sa 1:18; Ne 2:2,3; Ec 7:3). The countenance is "sharpened" i.e. made keen (Pr 27:17); it "falls," i.e. looks despondent, disappointed (Ge 4:5,6); is "cast down" (Job 29:24); "changed" (Job 14:20; compare "altered" into glory, Lu 9:29; Da 5:6,9,10; 7:28, Aramaic ziw). To settle one's countenance stedfastly upon a person (2Ki 8:11) is synonymous with staring or gazing at a person. Not infrequently we find compound expressions such as "light of countenance," i.e. favor (Job 29:24; Ps 4:6; 44:3; 89:15; 90:8); "health of countenance" (Ps 41:11; 43:5); "help of countenance" (Ps 42:5); "rebuke of countenance" (Ps 80:16); "pride of countenance" (Hebrew 'aph, literally, "haughty," "lofty nose," Ps 10:4).

(2) As verb (Hebrew hadhar, "to countenance") we find the word in the King James Version of Ex 23:3, where the Revisers translate "Neither shalt thou favor (the King James Version "countenance") a poor man in his cause." Here the meaning seems to be that no distinction of persons shall be made by the judge. See Le 19:15, where, however, a different word is used. There is therefore no need of the emendation proposed by Knobel and accepted by Kautzsch, who would read gadhol, "great," for wedhal, "and the poor" of the text. The Septuagint has penes, "poor."

H. L. E. Luering

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Aspect, look, mien, expression of the face. 2. Favor, encouragement, patronage, support, aid, assistance, sanction, approbation, approval. II. v. a. Approve, sanction, support, aid, abet, assist, favor, encourage, patronize, befriend, stand by, side with, take the side of.

Moby Thesaurus

Buddha-like composure, OK, Oriental calm, abet, abetment, accept, acceptance, adherence, admiration, admire, advocacy, advocate, aegis, aid and abet, air, applaud, approbation, approval, approve, approve of, ask for, auspices, authority, authorization, back, backing, bear, bear with, bearing, bless, blessing, blink at, brook, brow, calm disposition, calm of mind, calmness, care, carriage, cast, cast of countenance, certification, champion, championship, charity, clearance, color, comfort, commend, complexion, composure, condone, connive at, cool, coolheadedness, coolness, demeanor, dial, easy mind, embolden, empowerment, enabling, encourage, encouragement, endorse, endorsement, endure, enfranchisement, entitlement, esteem, face, facial appearance, facies, favor, favorable vote, feature, features, feed, fiat, foster, fosterage, garb, give encouragement, go for, goodwill, grin and abide, guidance, guise, have, hear of, hearten, hold with, icy calm, imperturbation, indisturbance, indulge, interest, invite, keep in countenance, kisser, let go by, let pass, lineaments, lines, looks, map, mental composure, mien, mug, mush, nod, nourish, nurture, obey, overlook, pan, patronage, peace of mind, peacefulness, philosophic composure, philosophicalness, philosophy, phiz, physiognomy, placidity, port, posture, presence, puss, put up with, quiet, quiet mind, quietude, ratification, respect, rise above, sanction, sangfroid, seal of approval, seconding, serenity, shine upon, shrug, shrug it off, smile upon, soothingness, sponsorship, stamp of approval, stance, stand for, stomach, submit to, subscribe, suffer, support, sympathy, take kindly to, think well of, tolerate, traits, tranquillity, turn, tutelage, unruffledness, uphold, view with favor, visage, voice, vote, warrant, warranty, wink at, yea, yea vote, yield to