earl

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈər(-ə)l How to pronounce earl (audio)
Synonyms of earlnext
: a member of the British peerage ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
earldom
ˈər(-ə)l-dəm How to pronounce earl (audio)
noun

earldom

2 of 2

noun (2)

earl·​dom ˈərldəm How to pronounce earldom (audio)
ˈə̄l-, 
ˈəil-
plural -s
1
: the domain or territory of an earl or countess
2
: the rank or dignity of an earl or countess

Examples of earl in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Past Lord Wardens include barons, earls, princes, and future kings. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 10 Feb. 2026 While this is partly because her father is an earl, the other part of her background honors the fact that her mother was a housemaid. — Patricia A. Matthew, Literary Hub, 27 Mar. 2026 Behind the mask is Sophie, the daughter of an earl who has been forced to become a servant by her cruel stepmother. — Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026 Under the law, the remaining earls, viscounts and dukes who inherited their seats in the chamber along with their aristocratic titles will leave Parliament for good when the current session concludes this spring. — Peter Weber, TheWeek, 12 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for earl

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English erl, from Old English eorl warrior, nobleman; akin to Old Norse jarl warrior, nobleman

Noun (2)

Middle English erldom, from Old English eorldōm, from eorl earl + -dōm -dom

First Known Use

Noun (1)

12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of earl was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing earl

Rhymes for earl

See All Rhymes for earl

Browse Nearby Words

earjewel
earl
earlandite
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Earl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earl. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

earl

noun
ˈərl How to pronounce earl (audio)
: a member of the British nobility ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
earldom
-dəm How to pronounce earl (audio)
noun
Etymology

Noun

Old English eorl "nobleman"

More from Merriam-Webster on earl

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for earl

Nglish: Translation of earl for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about earl

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All