Lord vs. Earl — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Lord and Earl
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Compare with Definitions
Lord
A territorial magnate.
Earl
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in Britain. The title originates in the Old English word eorl, meaning "a man of noble birth or rank".
Lord
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, a chief, or a ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are entitled to courtesy titles.
Earl
A British nobleman next in rank above a viscount and below a marquis, corresponding to a count in continental Europe.
Lord
A king.
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Earl
Used as a title for such a nobleman.
Lord
The proprietor of a manor.
Earl
(entomology) Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Tanaecia. Other butterflies in this genus are called counts and viscounts.
Lord
Lords The House of Lords.
Earl
A nobleman of England ranking below a marquis, and above a viscount. The rank of an earl corresponds to that of a count (comte) in France, and graf in Germany. Hence the wife of an earl is still called countess. See Count.
Lord
Used as a form of address for a marquis, an earl, or a viscount.
Earl
The needlefish.
Lord
Used as the usual style for a baron.
Earl
A British peer ranking below a Marquess and above a Viscount
Lord
Used as a courtesy title for a younger son of a duke or marquis.
Lord
Used as a title for certain high officials and dignitaries
Lord Chamberlain.
The Lord Mayor of London.
Lord
Used as a title for a bishop.
Lord
God.
Lord
(Christianity) Jesus.
Lord
A man of renowned power or authority.
Lord
A man who has mastery in a given field or activity.
Lord
(Archaic) The male head of a household.
Lord
(Archaic) A husband.
Lord
To insist upon or boast about so as to act in a domineering or superior manner
"He had lorded over her his self-proclaimed spiritual and poetic superiority" (David Leavitt).
Lord
To act in a domineering or superior manner
An upperclassman lording over the younger students.
Lord
To have a prominent or dominating position
The castle lords over the valley.
Lord
To rule over
Lorded over a vast empire.
Lord
(obsolete) The master of the servants of a household; (historical) the master of a feudal manor
Lord
(archaic) The male head of a household, a father or husband.
Lord
(archaic) The owner of a house, piece of land, or other possession
Lord
One possessing similar mastery over others; (historical) any feudal superior generally; any nobleman or aristocrat; any chief, prince, or sovereign ruler; in Scotland, a male member of the lowest rank of nobility (the equivalent rank in England is baron)
Lord
(historical) A feudal tenant holding his manor directly of the king
Lord
A peer of the realm, particularly a temporal one
Lord
A baron or lesser nobleman, as opposed to greater ones
Lord
One possessing similar mastery in figurative senses (esp. as lord of ~)
Lord
A magnate of a trade or profession.
Lord
(astrology) The heavenly body considered to possess a dominant influence over an event, time, etc.
Lord
A hunchback.
Lord
Sixpence.
Lord
Domineer or act like a lord.
Lord
(transitive) To invest with the dignity, power, and privileges of a lord; to grant the title of lord.
Lord
A hump-backed person; - so called sportively.
Lord
One who has power and authority; a master; a ruler; a governor; a prince; a proprietor, as of a manor.
But now I was the lordOf this fair mansion.
Man over menHe made not lord.
Lord
A titled nobleman., whether a peer of the realm or not; a bishop, as a member of the House of Lords; by courtesy; the son of a duke or marquis, or the eldest son of an earl; in a restricted sense, a baron, as opposed to noblemen of higher rank.
Lord
A title bestowed on the persons above named; and also, for honor, on certain official persons; as, lord advocate, lord chamberlain, lord chancellor, lord chief justice, etc.
Lord
A husband.
Thou worthy lordOf that unworthy wife that greeteth thee.
Lord
One of whom a fee or estate is held; the male owner of feudal land; as, the lord of the soil; the lord of the manor.
Lord
The Supreme Being; Jehovah.
Lord
The Savior; Jesus Christ.
Lord
To invest with the dignity, power, and privileges of a lord.
Lord
To rule or preside over as a lord.
Lord
To play the lord; to domineer; to rule with arbitrary or despotic sway; - sometimes with over; and sometimes with it in the manner of a transitive verb; as, rich students lording it over their classmates.
The whiles she lordeth in licentious bliss.
I see them lording it in London streets.
And lorded over them whom now they serve.
Lord
Terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
Lord
A person who has general authority over others
Lord
A titled peer of the realm
Lord
Make a lord of someone
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