barrister
Americannoun
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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
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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Water for Elephants
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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.
Adam Khan was attacked in Humberstone Road, Luton, at about 18:00 BST on 31 August 2025, barrister Kate Bex KC said.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
When the DfI witness said experts had agreed that Noah got in through bars, the family barrister retorted: "We don't know how Noah got in".
From BBC • May 8, 2026
The family barrister said this indicated that the woman was "completely unaware" of safety concerns at the site.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
A video of her expressing delight at becoming a barrister and the challenges she's overcome has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on social media, leaving the 30-year-old overwhelmed.
From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026
“Let me make this promise, Vivian. If you become a barrister, I shall buy you your peruke.”
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.
