Baron Was Once Just a Word for a Man
A baron is a nobleman of the lowest rank in the peerage. The word originally meant simply a man, and it also names a business magnate.
A baron is a nobleman, the lowest rank in the British peerage. The word started far lower down: Late Latin *baro* meant simply a man, and in some uses a simpleton. Norman French raised it to mean a warrior and then a king's tenant-in-chief. English then lent it back out to commerce, giving *press barons*, *oil barons* and *drug barons*, none of whom hold titles.
- A nobleman. *Baron Ashcroft.*
- A powerful businessman. *A press baron.*
- Baroness — the feminine form or a title in her own right. *Baroness Hale.*
- Barony — a baron's lands or rank. *An ancient barony.*
- Baronet — a hereditary knight, not a peer. *Sir John, a baronet.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | baron | A life baron. |
| Plural | barons | The barons revolted. |
| Feminine | baroness | A working baroness. |
| Abstract | barony | A Scottish barony. |
| Related | baronet | A baronet's title. |
- The barons forced the king to seal Magna Carta.1215.
- The press barons of the 1930s.Commerce.
- Most new peers are made barons.The modern British system.
The British peerage, top to bottom
- Duke — the highest rank
- Marquess — from the guardians of border marches
- Earl — the oldest English title, from Old English *eorl*
- Viscount — literally a deputy count
- Baron — the lowest, and the rank of almost all life peers
Old French *baron*, from Late Latin *baro*, a man, of uncertain further origin, possibly Frankish. English has used it since the 1100s.
Is a baronet a baron?
No. A baronet holds a hereditary knighthood and is not a peer. The similarity of the names causes constant confusion.
Why is a business magnate called a baron?
By analogy with feudal power. The usage is nineteenth-century and usually implies dominance rather than respectability.