Marquess

A marquess or marquis ( /ˈmɑrkwɨs/; French: "marquis", /mɑrˈkiː/) is a nobleman of hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The term is also used to translate equivalent oriental styles, as in imperial China, Japan, and Vietnam (Annam). In the United Kingdom the title ranks below a duke and above an earl (see "Marquesses in the United Kingdom").