Definition of esquire
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
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Origin and Etymology of esquire
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
Law Dictionary
esquire
playLegal Definition of esquire
—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.
Origin and Etymology of esquire
Middle French escuier squire, from Late Latin scutarius shield bearer, from Latin scutum shield
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See words that rhyme with esquire Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about esquire
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