lord chancellor

noun

Updated on: 19 Mar 2018

Definition of lord chancellor

plural lords chancellor

: a British officer of state who presides over the House of Lords in both its legislative and judicial capacities, serves as the head of the British judiciary, and is usually a leading member of the cabinet

Recent Examples of lord chancellor from the Web

Britain's new justice secretary and lord chancellor, David Gauke, leaves Prime Minister Theresa May’s Downing Street residence on Monday.

— karla adam, Washington Post, "British cabinet shake-up notable for who stays, not who goes," 8 Jan. 2018
There's a famous exchange in Robert Bolt's play A Man for All Seasons between Thomas More, who is Henry VIII's lord chancellor, and William Roper, his son-in-law to be.

— michael miner, Chicago Reader, "Criminal Justice / Media / News Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury, and the question of when we get to say the hell with the rules," 11 Jan. 2018
The depiction of Mary was found under a painting of John Maitland, a nobleman who became lord chancellor of Scotland.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Portrait of Mary Queen of Scots Found Hidden Beneath Another Painting," 31 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lord chancellor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of lord chancellor

15th century

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

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Law Dictionary

Lord Chancellor

noun

legal Definition of Lord Chancellor

: an official in the British judicial system whose duties include heading the Chancery Division and presiding over the Supreme Court of Judicature and the House of Lords in its judicial capacity