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

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

He also hosted the Finding Fred podcast and writes for GQ, Esquire, the Atlantic, the New Yorker, and other outlets.

From Slate • Dec. 31, 2025

Before breaking into the entertainment industry in 1964 with the short film “A Texas Romance, 1909,” Benton moved to New York and was an art director for Esquire magazine.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2025

In 2022, Stiller told Esquire in an interview that the film’s poor reception and performance was “not a great experience.”

From Salon • Dec. 9, 2024

‘My master, Mr. John Hancock, Esquire, bids me leave these coins—one for each of the poor work-boys—hoping they will drink his health and be diligent at their benches.’Then he was gone.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes