peerage
noun
\
Definition of peerage
1 : the body of peers
2 : the rank or dignity of a peer
3 : a book containing a list of peers with their genealogy, history, and titles
Examples of peerage in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lord Carrington was given a life peerage in 1999 after most hereditary peers were removed from the House of Lords. — Washington Post, "Lord Carrington, British statesman who served six prime ministers, dies at 99," 10 July 2018 But Lord Carrington and some other former leaders of the body were given life peerages, extending their rights of membership for the rest of their lives. — Robert D. Mcfadden, New York Times, "Lord Carrington, 99, Former British Foreign Secretary, Dies," 10 July 2018 Some holders of actual peerage titles have reportedly sold titles for large sums, but that’s a different matter. — Robert Mccoppin, chicagotribune.com, "Want to be a Scottish lord or lady? Opportunity beckons at suburban festival, where 'titles' will be sold," 16 June 2018 But rules governing the peerage have remained the same, giving priority to boys. — Simon Perry, PEOPLE.com, "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Future Daughters Will Not Inherit Titles," 4 June 2018 Laurence Olivier was lauded as the greatest actor of his time and raised to the British peerage as Sir Laurence, Baron of Brighton. — latimes.com, "Today: ‘Maximum Pressure,’ Iran Edition," 22 May 2018 Kill the D’Ysquiths standing between him and the peerage, in a plot that blends just a dash of Agatha Christie with a heaping helping of Monty Python, set to patter songs and ballads suggesting an Edwardian music hall and Victorian operetta. — Mike Fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Monty Python fans may love'Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder'," 2 May 2018 Again, your mileage may vary, and it probably will be based on your location and peerage. — Sean Gallagher, Ars Technica, "How to keep your ISP’s nose out of your browser history with encrypted DNS," 8 Apr. 2018 Chen Feng, the firm’s chairman and founder, has the Chinese political titles that are the equivalent of a peerage or knighthood. — Sharon Lafraniere, Michael Forsythe And Alexandra Stevenson, New York Times, "Trump Aide’s Deal With Chinese Firm Raises Fear of Tangled Interests," 31 Jan. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'peerage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Learn More about peerage
From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
A Field Guide to British Noble Titles
A Field Guide to British Noble Titles
Know your Duchess from your Baroness
Phrases Related to peerage
Statistics for peerage
Look-up Popularity
Time Traveler for peerage
The first known use of peerage was in the 15th century
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for peerage
peerage
noun
English Language Learners Definition of peerage
the peerage : the people who are members of the British nobility : the people who are peers
: the rank of a British peer
See the full definition for peerage in the English Language Learners Dictionary
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on peerage
What made you want to look up peerage? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Musical Words Quiz
-
- Which word describes a musical performance marked by the absence of instrumental accompaniment?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share peerage
Resources for peerage