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Queen's Counsel

American  
Queen's Counsel British  

noun

  1. Also called (when the sovereign is male): King's Counsel.  (in England when the sovereign is female) a barrister or advocate appointed Counsel to the Crown on the recommendation of the Lord Chancellor, entitled to sit within the bar of the court and to wear a silk gown

"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 Queen's Counsel

First recorded in 1855–60

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.

See Examples For:

Barristers are updating their business cards from Queen’s Counsel to King’s, but no one needs a fresh appointment at the bar.

From New York Times Oct. 9, 2022

Queen’s Counsel barrister Nick Vineall, representing the Maduro-backed central bank, said that rather than being “fatal” to his side’s case, the UK foreign secretary’s statement had instead supported it.

From Reuters Jul. 19, 2021

But Mullen was riled by the leading defense barristers, who were all Queen’s Counsel, the finest trial lawyers in Britain.

From The New Yorker May 20, 2019

Later this month he will become an honorary Queen’s Counsel, a recognition by the UK government of his academic achievements.

From The Guardian Feb. 3, 2017

On, on he led me, past Temple Bar, not without an eye for wandering Judges and Queen’s Counsel.

From The Idler Magazine, Volume III, June 1893 An Illustrated Monthly by Various

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