barrister
Americannoun
-
barristers
plural
-
(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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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:
Under cross-examination by Brand's barrister, Ian Winter KC, it was put to Dobson that in his witness statement he said that Russell Brand was one of few men he knew that women would swoon over.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
As a novelist, Gardam won special acclaim for her Old Filth trilogy, published between 2004 and 2013, about an elderly English barrister and judge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
The men also allegedly had a "briefing sheet" on a barrister, Jonathan Turner, who was a founding member of a group called UK Lawyers for Israel.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
The defence barrister said there was no "challenge to the integrity and strength of the victim" and that she "clearly did not consent in this case".
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
He’s sitting opposite, a newcomer, an interloper—a retired barrister with a square jaw, pitted nose, and great floppy ears.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
Severin added that the retired senior judges and leading barristers, who sat on the Commission, have "spent their careers interpreting complicated facts, dealing with witnesses and applying relevant weight to evidence".
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Andrew Thomas KC - chairman of the Criminal Bar Association, which represents barristers who work in crown and magistrates courts - said the profession was "delighted".
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
The court will hear legal submissions later on Friday from barristers for the BBC.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
As part of the High Court trial in London, barristers for the car owners cited a report from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 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
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
