(formerly) the hereditary title of the rulers of certain European states.
2.
History/Historical. a hereditary German title, equivalent to marquis.
3.
(originally) a military governor of a German mark, or border province.
Origin: 1545–55; earlier marcgrave < Middle Dutch, equivalent to marke border (cognate with march2) + grave count (cognate with reeve1); compare German Markgraf
a German nobleman ranking above a count. Margraves were originally counts appointed to govern frontier provinces, but all had become princes of the Holy Roman Empire by the 12th century
[C16: from Middle Dutch markgrave, literally: count of the march²]
military governor of a Ger. border province, 1551, from M.Du. markgrave, from O.H.G. marcgravo; second element from graf "count, earl" (O.H.G. gravo, gravjo; for first element see mark (1)).