noun
empress consort; queen consort
Refers specifically to the wife of an emperor or king, not a reigning monarch. In modern contexts, often used for the Japanese empress.
皇后さまは国民から敬愛されている。
The Empress is beloved by the people.
昔、后は宮中で重要な役割を果たした。
In the past, the empress consort played an important role at court.
The kanji 后 and 妃 both historically denote a ruler's wife. The reading きさき is of native Japanese origin, with uncertain derivation.