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• baron
  baron

  noun

  a member of the lowest grade of nobility.
• Baron
  Baron

  noun

  Michel Michel Boyron, 1653–1729, French actor.

baron

¹ American  

[bar-uhn] / ˈbær ən /

noun

• barons
  plural

1. a member of the lowest grade of nobility.

2. (in Britain)

   1. a feudal vassal holding his lands under a direct grant from the king.

   2. a direct descendant of such a vassal or his equal in the nobility.

   3. a member of the House of Lords.

3. an important financier or industrialist, especially one with great power in a particular area.

   an oil baron.

4. a cut of mutton or lamb comprising the two loins, or saddle, and the hind legs.

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Baron ² American  

[ba-rawn] / baˈrɔ̃ /

noun

1. Michel Michel Boyron, 1653–1729, French actor.

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baron British  

/ ˈbærən /

noun

1. a member of a specific rank of nobility, esp the lowest rank in the British Isles

2. (in Europe from the Middle Ages) originally any tenant-in-chief of a king or other overlord, who held land from his superior by honourable service; a land-holding nobleman

3. a powerful businessman or financier

   a press baron

4. English law (formerly) the title held by judges of the Court of Exchequer

5. short for baron of beef

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• barons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of baron

1200–50; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French < Late Latin barōn- (stemof barō ) man < Germanic; sense “cut of beef ” perhaps by analogy with the fanciful analysis of sirloin as “Sir Loin”

Explanation

A baron is a nobleman — a member of the aristocracy. Barons are also important, powerful businessmen with huge influence over their industries. In Britain, a baron is called “Lord,” but in the States, we call them “rich.” Barons are members of the aristocracy — wealthy people born into power and influence. How high a baron ranks depends on the country, but the title always carries respect. Similarly, a business leader who is rich, powerful, and influential is a baron. The term is used in phrases such as oil baron and baron of industry. You can also call that kind of baron a big businessman, magnate, mogul, top executive, or tycoon.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

baron Baron barons

Cut to Cruise as a bombastic oil baron in “Digger,” encased in prosthetics, sounding off with a Texas drawl and firing a finger gun.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

Digger sees Cruise transformed into a grey-haired oil baron who has to clean up his environmental mess, and is directed by Oscar winner Alejandro González Iñárritu.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

On Wednesday, billionaire oil baron Harold Hamm signed a preliminary deal to explore an undeveloped oil field in the state of Anzoátegui.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

And at the heart of it is Alejandro Betancourt López, the Venezuelan oil baron who heads the Barbados-registered firm.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

“Charming fellow, lovely singing voice. Met him when we were entertaining the baron last Midwinter.”

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

“Iran and its regional network are in control of two of the most important maritime chokepoints,” said Adam Baron, a fellow at U.S. think tank New America who specializes in Yemen and the Persian Gulf.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

The latest findings show a disconnect between the hype behind school phone bans and the reality, says Jason Baron, an assistant professor of economics at Duke University, and one of the study authors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

It was at UCB where he first crossed paths with celebrated clown teacher Philippe Gaulier, whose former students include Sacha Baron Cohen, Rachel Weisz and Geoffrey Rush.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

His fellow party candidates are called Baron von Thunderclap and Howling Laud Hope.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

Baron Hoover chuckled, and the baroness fired him a sideways look that was sharp enough to cut rope.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

GNP, a hedge against AI robots stealing all of the remaining sports jobs, but maybe also a rickety business propped up by advertising from gambling barons and their crazy cousins in the prediction markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

The ruthless machinations of Gilded Age robber barons are transposed to New York’s hotels and banquet rooms—a story of love marketed to the highest bidder.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

Clark did not outline how a "brake pedal" for AI research and development could be created, but drew a parallel between AI and the oil boom and barons of the turn of the last century.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

Morgan and steel magnate Andrew Mellon were known as “robber barons External link.”

From Barron's ● May 2, 2026

Because the least valued oil leases were offered first, the barons usually lingered in the back, leaving the initial bidding to upstarts.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Related Words

• aristocrat