Definition

1. Noun:
   • The peers of a kingdom considered as a group: The collective body of barons or nobles, especially in a historical context, referring to the entire class of titled nobility below the rank of duke.

Usage

• The term "baronage" is a historical and formal noun used to refer to the nobility as a collective institution or class. It is often used in discussions of feudal systems, medieval history, or the composition of a kingdom's ruling elite.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The king summoned the baronage to council. (The king called the collective body of nobles to a meeting.)
  • The rebellion was supported by a significant portion of the baronage. (A large part of the noble class supported the revolt.)

Advanced Usage

• "The ancient baronage": Used to specify the nobility of a past era.
  • The castle's history is intertwined with that of the ancient baronage.
• "The spiritual and temporal baronage": A historical phrase distinguishing between the nobility of the church (like bishops) and the secular nobility.
  • The parliament of the time included representatives from both the spiritual and temporal baronage.

Variants and Related Words

• Baron (n): A member of the lowest rank of the British nobility, or a powerful magnate in business (e.g., a press baron). This is the singular form from which "baronage" is derived.
• Peerage (n): The entire body of peers or nobles in a country. This is a broader, more common synonym for the collective nobility.

Synonyms

• Nobility: The class of people holding titles of nobility.
• Aristocracy: The highest class in certain societies, typically comprising people of noble birth holding hereditary titles and offices.
• Peerage: The collective term for all peers.

Antonyms

• Commonality: The common people as a group, distinct from the nobility.
• Peasantry: The agricultural laborers of a feudal system, of low social status.

Noun

1. the peers of a kingdom considered as a group