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

Population and Administration.—The ancient county, which is a county palatine, has an area of 657,783 acres, with a population in 1891 of 730,058 and in 1901 of 815,099.

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

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

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

The Queen’s Park, purchased and laid out at a cost of �11,000 with money which devolved to Queen Victoria in right of her duchy and county palatine of Lancaster, was opened in 1879.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 4 "Hero" to "Hindu Chronology" by Various