noun
countenance
KOWN-tuh-nuhns
noun
1
A person's face or facial expression, especially as it reveals their mood.
"His calm countenance gave away nothing about the bad news he carried."
verb
1
To approve of, tolerate, or support something.
"The company refused to countenance any form of harassment."
How to Use Countenance
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone's facial expression — or, as a verb, to approve of or allow something.
When to use it
Fairly formal or literary in both senses; rarely used in casual speech.
Word Forms
countenanced past tense, countenances plural, countenances singular
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His calm _____ gave away nothing about the bad news he carried.
Etymology
From Old French contenance, ultimately related to Latin continentia — a distant relative of "continence."