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baron

1 American  
[bar-uhn] / ˈbær ən /

noun

  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.

Baron 2 American  
[ba-rawn] / baˈrɔ̃ /

noun

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

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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”

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.

Not because Mullin, a wealthy plumbing baron from Oklahoma who’s served in Washington since 2013, has a distinguished legislative record.

From Slate • Mar. 7, 2026

Anna Murdoch-Mann, writer and ex-wife of media baron Rupert Murdoch, has died aged 81, his media outlets have announced.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

This is usually gratifying work, but in “Vigil” she encounters a hard case: the oil baron K.J.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

The property baron offloaded one of his Tennessee homes back in 2021, selling the seven-bedroom, 8.5-bathroom abode, which is believed to have served as his primary residence, for $10.2 million in August of that year.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 16, 2025

“Woof, ahwoo, a-woof, ahwoo! Catchy tune, what?” the baron said, tapping his foot.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

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.