1
: a member of the English gentry ranking below a knight
2
: a candidate for knighthood serving as shield bearer and attendant to a knight
3
used as a title of courtesy often by attorneys usually placed in its abbreviated form after the surname
John R. Smith, Esq.
4
archaic : a landed proprietor

Examples of esquire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web These men were called squires for most of the Middle Ages, but esquire began to appear in the 15th century. Melissa Mohr, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'esquire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French esquier squire, from Late Latin scutarius, from Latin scutum shield; akin to Old Irish sciath shield

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of esquire was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near esquire

Cite this Entry

“Esquire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/esquire. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

esquire

noun
1
: a member of the English gentry ranking immediately below a knight
2
: one who wants to become a knight and who works as a servant to a knight
3
used as a title of courtesy usually placed in its abbreviated form after the surname
John Smith, Esq.

Legal Definition

esquire

noun
es·​quire ˈes-ˌkwīr How to pronounce esquire (audio)
used as a title of courtesy for lawyers usually placed in its abbreviated form after the name and capitalized
John R. Smith, Esq.
Jane L. Smith, Esq.
Etymology

Middle French escuier squire, from Late Latin scutarius shield bearer, from Latin scutum shield

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