lordship
/'lɔ:dʃip/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- 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
- the authority of a lord
- a title used to address any British peer except a duke and extended to a bishop or a judge
- Your Lordship
- His Lordship