Sample sentences for COUNTENANCE

2 meanings

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1 —as in:
a pleasant countenance

Definition

facial expression; or face; or composure or manner

She has a pleasant countenance.

countenance = facial expression; or face

Other Uses (with this meaning)

Her countenance grew stern.

countenance = facial expression

the heart of man is written upon his countenance
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
The countenance is the portrait of the soul, and the eyes mark its intentions.
Marcus Tullius Cicero
both the frown and the smile passed successively over his countenance.
Nathaniel Hawthorne -- The House of the Seven Gables

countenance = face or facial expression

Miss Maudie answered: "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance!"
Harper Lee -- To Kill a Mockingbird

countenance = facial expression

She had a stern countenance and was critical-looking.
Amy Tan -- The Bonesetter's Daughter

countenance = facial expression

One word or look from you ... and I'll tear the countenance from the front of your head.
Frank McCourt -- Angela's Ashes

countenance = face or facial expression

I raised my eyes to look at my father's face leaning over mine, to try to discover a smile or something resembling one upon the aged, dried-up countenance.
Elie Wiesel -- Night

countenance = face

He looked at me with a confused expression on his countenance and...
Jim Stovall -- The Ultimate Gift

countenance = face

Dictionary / pronunciation — Google^®Dictionary list — Onelook.com^®

2 —as in:
giving countenance

Definition

to tolerate, approve, or show favor or support

We will not countenance torture.

countenance = to tolerate or approve

Other Uses (with this meaning)

They countenance and support terrorism.

countenance = show favor for or support

I shall certainly not do anything to give the impression that I countenance your behaviour.
Edith Wharton -- The House of Mirth

countenance = approve

He disagreed with Reb Saunders, yes, but he would countenance no slander against his name or his position.
Chaim Potok -- The Chosen

countenance = tolerate, or show favor or support

But no Court of Justice could countenance such a view.
Alan Paton -- Cry, the Beloved Country

countenance = tolerate or approve

But expect no help nor countenance from me.
C.S. Lewis -- The Horse and His Boy

countenance = tolerance, approval, or support

This was extravagant and not to be countenanced.
John Steinbeck -- The Pearl

countenanced = tolerated

Sethe's crime was staggering and her pride outstripped even that; but she could not countenance the possibility of sin moving on in the house, unleashed and sassy.
Toni Morrison -- Beloved

countenance = tolerate or approve

...society was inclined to show its former victim a more benign countenance than she cared to be favoured with, or, perchance, than she deserved.
Nathaniel Hawthorne -- The Scarlet Letter

countenance = tolerance

She was preparing for her ninth lying-in; and after bewailing the circumstance, and imploring their countenance as sponsors to the expected child, she could not conceal how important she felt they might be to the future maintenance of the eight already in being.
Jane Austen -- Mansfield Park

countenance = support

Dictionary / pronunciation — Google^®Dictionary list — Onelook.com^®

Less commonly:

More rarely, in addition to facial expression, countenance can refer to one's posture and other visible features.

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