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peer of the realm

American

noun

plural

peers of the realm

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

(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.

He might have been a peer of the realm, but he was a Jewish guy whose family had moved from Odessa to Shoreditch when he was a kid.

From Slate • May 29, 2018

A peer of the realm is brought in.

From New York Times • Sep. 8, 2013

It's a moderately interesting history, but watching a peer of the realm tell you about it can't quite compare with the experience of witnessing the slightly corny magic of panto actually happening.

From The Guardian • Dec. 21, 2012

These protesters did not think the princess should be on her way to see some stuffy Chekhov drama by a peer of the realm.

From The Guardian • Jun. 3, 2010

The question here lies between a peer of the realm with twelve thousand a year, and a retired soldier with eightpence a day pension.

From Davenport Dunn, Volume 1 (of 2) A Man Of Our Day by Lever, Charles James

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023