Baron

A baron is a member of the lowest rank of the British nobility. Historically, barons held land directly from the Crown and possessed certain rights and privileges. Today, the title can also be a hereditary peerage, or a life peerage granted for distinguished service.

The term 'baron' can also be used more loosely to refer to a powerful or wealthy person, especially in a particular industry.

Baron meaning with examples

• Lord Ashworth, a baron, hosted the annual royal hunt at his sprawling estate, inviting many of his fellow peers for the lavish event. They spent weeks making sure everything was perfect.
• The industrial baron controlled nearly all the steel production in the region, wielding significant economic and political influence. It allowed him to control prices and wages.
• During medieval times, barons often commanded their own armies, controlling large swathes of land and the peasants who worked it. This was at a time before the rise of the king's power.
• Despite the decline of feudalism, the memory of the barons, their castles, and their power lingers in the English countryside, in the stories and poems of that time.