peerage

noun

peer·age | \ˈpir-ij

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

He was given the peerage after years of devoted service to the community.

Recent Examples on the Web

Renée Kuo, the managing director of Debrett's, the authority on British peerage and etiquette, agrees. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "The Very British Reason Meghan Markle Keeps Wearing Blush and Beige," 1 July 2018 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

These 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.