barrister
Americannoun
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barristers
plural
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(in England) a lawyer who is a member of one of the Inns of Court and who has the privilege of pleading in the higher courts.
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Informal. any lawyer.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of barrister
1535–45; derivative of bar 1, perhaps after obsolete legister lawyer or minister
Explanation
The Brits and Canadians prefer to say barrister instead of "lawyer," but they mean the same thing. A barrister is a person who goes to court on behalf of the defense or the prosecution. The image of the barrister — a lawyer who pleads cases in the higher, or what is called "superior," courts of Britain — is of a white-wigged gentleman wearing a long black gown over a dark suit. Now, everyone who is a barrister wears white wigs. Barristers are so named because they were literally "called to the bar," which means that they are able to practice law. Barristers are not the same as solicitors, who advise clients but only appear in Britain's lower courts.
Vocabulary lists containing barrister
A Doll's House
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Akata Witch
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Water for Elephants
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Fong then gave evidence in court, where she was asked by defence barrister Rebecca Filletti whether she would ever leave her seven-year-old daughter alone with a dog.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Travelodge said it had commissioned an independent review led by a barrister "to examine our room access security policies and escalation procedures".
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
As his barrister spoke about why there should be a reduced sentence, Bear appeared to briefly cry.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
Bush's own barrister Richard Wright KC said "greed, incompetence and an inability to keep up with his own failings" had driven the crimes.
From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026
Dear Mrs. O’Brien, Inasmuch as you have not succumbed to the imminence of litigation in our previous epistle be advised that we are in consultation with our barrister above in Dublin.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
During a two-day hearing at the High Court earlier this week, barristers for the MoJ said the Parole Board had failed to assess Razzell's risk properly and called for the decision to be reversed.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
But EA barristers said it had a general power to bring private prosecutions, and alternatively that allegations of conspiracy to defraud were connected to its functions.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The pair's friendship began in 1996 when they were both barristers at Doughty Street Chambers, specialising in human rights.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
They sit with two side members who are sports lawyers, barristers or mediators.
From BBC ● May 13, 2026
“One of those white wigs that British barristers plop on top of their heads when they are trying a case.”
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
