Definition

1. Noun:
   • The authority, power, or domain of a lord: The condition, rank, or dignity of a lord; the territory or property under a lord's control.
   • A title or form of address: A respectful title used when speaking to or about a man holding the rank of a lord, such as a baron, viscount, earl, or marquess, and also extended to bishops and certain judges.

Usage

• As a common noun (authority/domain):
  • The lordship of the manor was passed down through generations.
  • He exercised his lordship over the vast estate.
• As a title (often capitalized):
  • "Is your Lordship comfortable?" the servant asked.
  • The letter was addressed to His Lordship, the Earl of Warwick.
  • I must consult His Lordship, the Bishop, on this matter.

Advanced Usage

• "Your Lordship": The direct form of address used when speaking to a lord, bishop, or specific judges.
  • "Your Lordship, the defense rests its case."
• "His Lordship": The form used when referring to such a person in the third person.
  • His Lordship will see you now.
  • We await the arrival of His Lordship.

Variants and Related Words

• Lord (n): A person having great power and authority; a male peer of the realm.
  • The lord of the castle.
• Lordships (n, plural): Can refer to multiple lords or their territories.
  • The neighboring lordships often quarreled over land.

Synonyms

• Authority: The power to give orders or make decisions.
• Dominion: Sovereignty or control.
• Peerage: The collective title for the ranks of the nobility (e.g., lords, dukes).

Notes on Usage

• The term "lordship" as a title is part of formal British honorific language. It is not used for dukes, who are addressed as "Your Grace."
• In modern contexts outside of formal ceremonies or historical settings, the use of "lordship" as a common noun (meaning authority) is rare. Its primary contemporary use is as a formal title.

Noun

1. the authority of a lord
2. a title used to address any British peer except a duke and extended to a bishop or a judge
   • Your Lordship
   • His Lordship