A margrave is a German nobleman who was originally the military commander assigned to maintain the defense of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or a kingdom. The word "margrave" is the English and French form of the German noble title Markgraf, which means "borderland" or "march" added to Graf, meaning "Count". The margrave was responsible for maintaining the greater armed forces and fortifications required for repelling invasion, which increased his political strength and independence relative to the monarch. The title of margrave evolved into a rank in the Holy Roman Empires nobility, higher than Graf (count) and equivalent to such associated compound titles as Landgrave, Palsgrave, and Gefürsteter Graf, yet remained lower than Herzog (duke) and even, officially, lower than Fürst. The wife of a margrave is a margravine.