: a member of the British peerage ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
plural -s
1
: the domain or territory of an earl or countess
2
: the rank or dignity of an earl or countess
Examples of earl in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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
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Noun
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
Cite this Entry
“Earl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earl. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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