Synonyms of earlnext
: a member of the British peerage ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
earldom noun

Examples of earl in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Burnard and O’Shaughnessy point out that, whereas Britain regularly sent nobles to govern the Caribbean colonies—and dukes and earls to Ireland—the men appointed to administer the thirteen colonies more often lacked titles and were paid less. Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 May 2026 Members of the upper chamber dropped their objections to legislation passed by the House of Commons ousting dozens of dukes, earls and viscounts who inherited their seats in the House of Lords, The Associated Press reported. Jared Gans, The Hill, 12 Mar. 2026 Under the law, the remaining earls, viscounts and dukes who inherited their seats in the chamber along with their aristocratic titles will leave Parliament for good when the current session concludes this spring. Peter Weber, TheWeek, 12 Mar. 2026 On Tuesday night, members of the upper chamber dropped objections to legislation passed by the House of Commons ousting dozens of dukes, earls and viscounts who inherited seats in Parliament along with their aristocratic titles. Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for earl

Word History

Etymology

Middle English erl, from Old English eorl warrior, nobleman; akin to Old Norse jarl warrior, nobleman

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of earl was in the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Earl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earl. Accessed 10 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

earl

noun
: a member of the British nobility ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
earldom noun
Etymology

Old English eorl "nobleman"

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