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peer of the realm

American  

noun

PLURAL

peers of the realm
  1. any of a class of peers in Great Britain and Ireland entitled by heredity to sit in the House of Lords.


peer of the realm British  

noun

  1. (in Great Britain and Northern Ireland) any member of the nobility entitled to sit in the House of Lords

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of peer of the realm

First recorded in 1585–95

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.

Also present are the Lords Spiritual and Temporal - bishops of the Church of England who sit in the House of Lords including the Archbishop of Canterbury, together with the secular peers of the realm.

From Reuters

“You read me a lesson? I? A peer of the realm? And you, from the place where you come from?”

From The Guardian

On Thursday, a government minister referred to Trump as a peer of the realm, before quickly dampening speculation that he could be ennobled.

From The Guardian

A sign that his life was not going to follow the traditional route of a peer of the realm was when he married actress and sometime nude model Ann Herbert in secret in 1955.

From BBC

Some of them did very well and went on to become successful publishers or peers of the realm.

From The Guardian