lord

1 of 2

noun

1
: one having power and authority over others:
a
: a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due
b
: one of whom a fee or estate is held in feudal tenure
c
: an owner of land or other real (see real entry 1 sense 2) property
d
obsolete : the male head of a household
e
f
: one that has achieved mastery or that exercises leadership or great power in some area
a drug lord
2
capitalized
b
: jesus
3
: a man of rank or high position: such as
a
: a feudal tenant whose right or title comes directly from the king
b
: a British nobleman: such as
(2)
: a hereditary peer of the rank of marquess, earl, or viscount
(3)
: the son of a duke or a marquess or the eldest son of an earl
(4)
: a bishop of the Church of England
c
Lords plural : house of lords
4
used as a British title: such as
a
used as part of an official title
Lord Advocate
Lord Mayor
b
used informally in place of the full title for a marquess, earl, or viscount
c
used for a baron
d
used by courtesy before the name and surname of a younger son of a duke or a marquess
5
: a person chosen to preside over a festival

lord

2 of 2

verb

lorded; lording; lords

intransitive verb

: to act like a lord
especially : to put on airs
usually used with it
lords it over his friends

Examples of lord in a Sentence

Noun He became a lord upon the death of his father. as lords of the local real estate scene, they own nearly all of the city's prime pieces of property
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The burial also contained the remains of several other people who were sacrificed to accompany the deceased lord into the afterlife, the ministry said. Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 Crime lords would have fewer markets without American consumers. Shannon K. O’Neil, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 The 2020 movie found Miami detectives Marcus and Mike going against a mother-son duo who were also drug lords. Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 18 Feb. 2024 When his family is targeted by a crime lord, Hutch finds his old skills come in handy, though his middle-aged body isn’t quite up to the task. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2024 In the 13th century, villagers would gift eggs to the lords of the manor or to the church. Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 5 Feb. 2024 Their legislation is more nuanced than what Republican presidential candidates have offered, providing crystal-clear legal authorities for the president to employ against drug lords. Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023 The weakest of the bunch is a set piece at a Berlin nightclub to take out a heavyset German crime lord named Killa (Scott Adkins). Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 25 Dec. 2023 Who doesn’t want to stop Russian oligarchs and drug lords from laundering money in the U.S.? Amber Gunn, National Review, 17 Dec. 2023
Verb
Located in Qatar’s capital, a dynamic and shifting city, Fairmont Doha has opened in the city’s Iconic Towers, lording over the skyline with its mighty cross-sword design. Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 12 Feb. 2024 Eno himself beamed in from his studio in London, lording over Hustwit and several members of his crew — this is one of the few feature films to have both a Director of Photography and a Director of Programming in its credits — like God, or possibly Big Brother. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 18 Jan. 2024 Ice Cube references sees Williams’ pimp Money Mike cornered in a bathroom by Terry Crews’ Damon, a man recently out of prison who has been lording over Craig (Ice Cube) and Day-Day (Mike Epps) for rent money. Abbey White, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 The dizzying pace of events is evidence that at the very least, the OpenAI board lorded over chaos rather than an orderly transition, the goal of any board of directors when a CEO is replaced. Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2023 One of Santa Monica’s most stylish hotels has reeled in an equally swish yacht for guests. , which has lorded over Ocean Avenue for 90 years, recently announced three new packages centered around an elegant Riva 63 Virtus. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2023 As a global powerhouse in tech manufacturing, Kord lords over nearly every facet of life in Palmera City. Kaely Monahan, The Arizona Republic, 16 Aug. 2023 William’s new wife, Sarah, formerly his servant, sees the Claimant as a victim of the same establishment that lorded over her own working-class family. Adam Kirsch, Harper's Magazine, 14 Aug. 2023 The drill sergeant-like coach, lording over brutal training sessions, is part of the sport’s lore. Gus Garcia-Roberts, Anchorage Daily News, 15 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lord.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English loverd, lord, from Old English hlāford, from hlāf loaf + weard keeper — more at loaf, ward

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lord was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near lord

Cite this Entry

“Lord.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lord. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lord

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a person who has power and authority
especially : a ruler to whom service and obedience are due
b
: a person from whom a feudal estate is held
2
capitalized
b
: jesus
3
: a man of rank or high position: as
a
: a feudal tenant holding his estate directly from the king
b
: a British nobleman or a bishop entitled to sit in the House of Lords
used as a title
c
plural capitalized : house of lords

lord

2 of 2 verb
: to act as if having the rank or power of a lord : domineer
used with it
lording it over her younger brothers
Etymology

Noun

Old English hlāford "lord," literally, "bread keeper," from hlāf "loaf of bread" and weard "keeper, guard" — related to lady, loaf see Word History at lady

Word Origin
The word lord comes from the Old English word hlāford. This word was formed from the words hlāf, meaning "loaf of bread," and weard, meaning "keeper, guard." This "bread keeper," however, actually had no more to do with bread than our modern "breadwinner." The hlāford was much more important than his title suggests. He was the head of a great household and had power and authority over many people. The related word lady developed in much the same way.

More from Merriam-Webster on lord

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!