lord

Lord is a title and form of address used in various cultures and historical periods. It derives from the Old English hlāfweard, literally meaning “loaf-ward” or “bread-keeper,” conceptually a person who controlled land and owed service to a higher lord. The term evolved to mean master, owner, or ruler and is cognate with the German Herr and Dutch Heer.

In medieval and early modern Europe, a lord was a landholder who presided over a manor and its peasants, with authority delegated from a higher lord or sovereign. In England and the later United Kingdom, “lord” became a courtesy or functional title for male members of the nobility and certain bishops. The peerage comprises five ranks, with the lowest commonly associated title being baron, who is addressed as Lord. Wives of lords are typically referred to as Lady or Baroness, depending on title. In Parliament, the term “Lords” designates the House of Lords, which includes life peers and hereditary peers.

In modern usage, “my lord” or “your lordship” are formal forms of address for male peers in ceremonial or judicial settings, less common in everyday speech. In religious contexts, “the Lord” is a common designation for God or Jesus in Christianity, often capitalized. The term also appears in compound forms such as landlord or lord of the manor, denoting ownership or authority over land or property.

Usage varies by country, but the word generally marks a position of authority, ownership, or reverence, whether in noble hierarchies, religious devotion, or property relationships.