earl
noun
a British nobleman of a rank below that of marquis and above that of viscount: called count for a time after the Norman conquest. The wife of an earl is a countess.
earls
-
pluralof earl.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
We may not be earls or billionaires, but we can eat like them.
From Salon ● Nov. 1, 2025
Its inhabitants are those of “there will always be an England” England: stern vicars, timid curates, lords and earls, penniless titled wastrels living on allowances from their uncles, imperious aunts, upper-crust twits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2025
The tradition caught on and English colleges became diploma mills for earls and barons who never cracked a book or scribbled on parchment in their storied halls.
From Washington Times ● May 9, 2018
Magna Carta was renegotiated on four occasions within the first decade of its existence, as both the King and England's earls, bishops and barons all attempted to redefine its terms.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2014
Impressed by what they saw, the earls introduced cannons to the English army, which adopted them enthusiastically and already used them against French soldiers at the battle of Crecy six years later.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
