baron

noun

bar·​on ˈber-ən 

ˈba-rən

1

a

: one of a class of tenants holding his rights and title by military or other honorable service directly from a feudal superior (such as a king)

b

: a lord of the realm : noble, peer

2

a

: a member of the lowest grade of the peerage in Great Britain

b

: a nobleman on the continent of Europe of varying rank

c

: a member of the lowest order of nobility in Japan

3

: a joint of meat consisting of two sirloins or loins and legs not cut apart at the backbone

a baron of beef

4

: a man who possesses great power or influence in some field of activity

a cattle baron

Synonyms of baron

• magnate
• tycoon
• king

Examples of baron in a Sentence

a media baron who owns newspapers, television and radio stations, and even several cable networks

Recent Examples on the Web

Andrew met Epstein in the late nineties, through Ghislaine Maxwell, the youngest daughter of Robert Maxwell, a former press baron. —Sam Knight, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026

The land was donated to the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles in the 1950s by descendants of one of the city’s early oil barons. —Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026

Past Lord Wardens include barons, earls, princes, and future kings. —Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026

And, lately, the country’s ultrarich have been behaving like modern-day land barons, quietly assembling empires measured not just in acres but in square miles and state sizes. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German baro freeman

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing baron

• robber baron

Rhymes for baron

• barren

Kids Definition

baron

noun

bar·​on ˈbar-ən 

1

: a member of the lowest rank of the British nobility

2

: a person of great power or influence

a cattle baron