county palatine

American  

noun

counties palatine plural

1. the territory under the jurisdiction of a count palatine.

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county palatine British  

noun

1. the lands of a count palatine

2. (in England and Ireland) a county in which the earl or other lord exercised many royal powers, esp judicial authority

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• counties palatine
  plural

Etymology

Origin of county palatine

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

county palatine

Situated amid the wild and high moorlands, at whose feet hath stood for ages the royal and ducal capital of the county palatine of Lancaster, once rose a strong border defence called Raven Castle.

From Traditions of Lancashire, Volume 1 by Roby, John

In the reign of Henry VIII. the distinctive privileges of Cheshire as a county palatine were considerably abridged.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 1 "Châtelet" to "Chicago" by Various

The liberty of the Isle of Ely was formerly of the independent nature of a county palatine, but ceased to be so under acts of 1836 and 1837.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 1 "Calhoun" to "Camoens" by Various

At the Restoration he was appointed lord-lieutenant, his estates having been restored to him with the addition of the county palatine of Tipperary, taken by James I. from his grandfather.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4 "Bulgaria" to "Calgary" by Various

He became a barrister in 1739, and, after a period of inactivity, obtained a large and profitable practice, becoming a K.C. in 1754, and afterwards attorney-general for the county palatine of Lancaster.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 3 "Gordon, Lord George" to "Grasses" by Various