: a member of the British peerage ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
earldom noun

Examples of earl in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web With James' support, George became an earl, a marquess and ultimately a duke (a rarity for nonroyals). Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024 Young’s office earlier had turned down a request for a formal interview, unaware one of the journalists from the London paper was a dashing earl. Bill McGraw, Detroit Free Press, 17 Mar. 2024 Klimek: Moving into the 20th century, Tony cited the story of an English earl named Lord Carnarvon. Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Aug. 2023 Work began on the castle’s symmetrical wings and crowning dome in 1699 and after the lifetimes of three earls, it was finally completed in 1811. Rachel Silva, ELLE Decor, 8 Sep. 2023 See all Example Sentences for earl 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'earl.' 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

Middle English erl, from Old English eorl warrior, nobleman; akin to Old Norse jarl warrior, nobleman

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of earl was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near earl

Cite this Entry

“Earl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earl. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

earl

noun
: a member of the British nobility ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
earldom noun
Etymology

Old English eorl "nobleman"

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