Synonyms

barrister

American

[bar-uh-ster] / ˈbær ə stər /

noun

Law.

(in England) a lawyer who is a member of one of the Inns of Court and who has the privilege of pleading in the higher courts.
Informal. any lawyer.

barrister British

/ ˈbærɪstə /

noun

Also called: barrister-at-law. (in England) a lawyer who has been called to the bar and is qualified to plead in the higher courts Compare solicitor See also advocate counsel
(in Canada) a lawyer who pleads in court
a less common word for lawyer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

barristerial adjective

Etymology

Origin of barrister

1535–45; derivative of bar ¹, perhaps after obsolete legister lawyer or minister

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

To the obvious fury of the judge, the prince's stubborn barrister David Sherborne often tested the boundaries of that decision.

From BBC

Prosecution barrister Edward Kalber urged magistrates to send the case to crown court "to give maximum latitude for the sentencing decision".

From BBC

The RCA opposed the bid, with its barristers stating it was "blindingly obvious" that Rosindell's licence to use the premises only applied when he was a Tory.

From BBC

"Why were you searching?" asked his defence barrister, Wilding KC.

From BBC

The case was even threatened by a barrister's strike until it was exempted from industrial action.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023