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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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:
The barrister did not state that they were of animal origin.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
He added she was studying for a law degree and wanted to become a barrister.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The defence barrister then asked for a pre-sentence report to be compiled by probation on his client, with the Crown confirming Victim Impact Statements will also be made.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Asked by his defence barrister if he wanted teachers to discover it, he said "no" and also denied wanting to use it in a violent way or to deliberately injure Williams.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 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
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 MoD is defending the legal bid, with its barristers telling the court that the claim has been brought too late.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 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
Opening a three-day defence of the home secretary's proscription of the group, barristers told the Court of Appeal on Tuesday that overturning it would limit ministers' counter-terrorism powers.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 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.
