: a member of the British peerage ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
Examples of earl in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In September 1607, the earls of Tyrone, Tyrconnell, their families and almost a hundred of their followers fled Ulster and boarded a ship at Lough Swilly bound for Rome and exile.
—
Literary Hub, 25 Nov. 2025
In the book, Benedict falls for Sophie Beckett, the daughter of an earl who’s been hidden away from the Ton and forced to work as a housemaid by her spiteful stepmother.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
With James' support, George became an earl, a marquess and ultimately a duke (a rarity for nonroyals).
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Young’s office earlier had turned down a request for a formal interview, unaware one of the journalists from the London paper was a dashing earl.
—Bill McGraw, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for earl
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Literary Hub, 25 Nov. 2025
In the book, Benedict falls for Sophie Beckett, the daughter of an earl who’s been hidden away from the Ton and forced to work as a housemaid by her spiteful stepmother.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025
With James' support, George became an earl, a marquess and ultimately a duke (a rarity for nonroyals).
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Young’s office earlier had turned down a request for a formal interview, unaware one of the journalists from the London paper was a dashing earl.
—Bill McGraw, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for earl
Cite this Entry
“Earl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earl. Accessed 28 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share