esquire

American  

[es-kwahy^uhr, e-skwahyuhr] / ˈɛs kwaɪər, ɛˈskwaɪər /

noun

1. (initial capital letter) an unofficial title of respect, having no precise significance, sometimes placed, especially in its abbreviated form, after a man's surname in formal written address: in the U.S., usually applied to lawyers, women as well as men; in Britain, applied to a commoner considered to have gained the social position of a gentleman. Esq.

2. squire.

3. a man belonging to the order of English gentry ranking next below a knight.

4. Archaic. squire.

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verb (used with object)

esquired, esquiring

1. to raise to the rank of esquire.

2. to address as “Esquire.”

3. to escort or attend in public.

esquire British  

/ ɪˈskwaɪə /

noun

1. a title of respect, usually abbreviated Esq, placed after a man's name

2. (in medieval times) the attendant and shield bearer of a knight, subsequently often knighted himself

3. rare a male escort

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Etymology

Origin of esquire

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English esquier, from Middle French escuier, from Latin scūtārius “shield bearer,” from scūt(um) scutum + -ārius -ary

Example Sentences

One Page Six reporter told Esquire in 2020 that Trump once served as a named source in a piece about his love life—and also as multiple anonymous sources quoted in the article.

From Slate • Jun. 11, 2026

“Red Carpet” was a New York Times Editors' Choice, called a "page-turner" by Foreign Affairs, and named one of the best books ever written about Hollywood by Esquire.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

“I was just the worst,” Duvall told Esquire in 2014.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

"I was worried about raising our kids in L.A., in the culture of Hollywood," George Clooney said in an Esquire magazine interview earlier this year.

From BBC • Dec. 30, 2025

Two days after I bury my parents, I am summoned to the offices of Edmund Hyde, Esquire, to hear the details of their estate.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen