baron

¹

[ bar-uhn ]

noun

1. a member of the lowest grade of nobility.
2. (in Britain)
   1. a feudal vassal holding his lands under a direct grant from the king.
   2. a direct descendant of such a vassal or his equal in the nobility.
   3. a member of the House of Lords.
3. an important financier or industrialist, especially one with great power in a particular area:

   an oil baron.

4. a cut of mutton or lamb comprising the two loins, or saddle, and the hind legs.

Baron

²

[ ba-rawn ]

noun

1. Mi·chel [mee-, shel], Michel Boyron, 1653–1729, French actor.

baron

/ ˈbærən /

noun

1. a member of a specific rank of nobility, esp the lowest rank in the British Isles
2. (in Europe from the Middle Ages) originally any tenant-in-chief of a king or other overlord, who held land from his superior by honourable service; a land-holding nobleman
3. a powerful businessman or financier

   a press baron

4. English law (formerly) the title held by judges of the Court of Exchequer
5. short for baron of beef

Word History and Origins

Origin of baron¹

1200–50; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French < Late Latin barōn- (stemof barō ) man < Germanic; sense “cut of beef ” perhaps by analogy with the fanciful analysis of sirloin as “Sir Loin”

Word History and Origins

Origin of baron¹

C12: from Old French, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German baro freeman, Old Norse berjask to fight

Example Sentences

On the right came a wealthy real estate baron who blamed immigrants, the "deep state" and other insidious actors for America's decline.

From Salon

On the right came a real estate baron who blamed immigrants, the "deep state" and other insidious actors.

From Salon

“This is a self-inflicted wound on the part of the Washington Post,” Martin Baron, former editor of the Post, said in an interview Monday.

From Los Angeles Times

Others interpreted the decision rather differently: “This is cowardice, with democracy as its casualty,” former Post editor Marty Baron wrote on X.

From Slate

Former Post Editor Martin Baron criticized the Washington paper’s move, saying Friday that “history will mark a disturbing chapter of spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• aristocrat