lord chancellor

noun

plural lords chancellor
: a British officer of state who presides over the House of Lords in both its legislative and judicial capacities, serves as the head of the British judiciary, and is usually a leading member of the cabinet

Examples of lord chancellor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Instead, it must be declared in writing by three or more out of the following: the sovereign’s spouse, the lord chancellor, the speaker of the House of Commons, the lord chief justice of England and the master of the rolls. Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week Uk, theweek, 6 Feb. 2024 More was lord chancellor of England. John Hagen, Star Tribune, 29 June 2021 More, a counselor to Henry VIII, and lord chancellor for three years from 1529, had refused to recognize the new Church of England or Henry as its leader. John Garth, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2022 His highest-ranking advisor was the lord chancellor. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 8 Sep. 2022 Steve Gunderson is amusingly bored as Sebastian, the corrupt lord chancellor. San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 June 2022 Britain's new justice secretary and lord chancellor, David Gauke, leaves Prime Minister Theresa May’s Downing Street residence on Monday. Karla Adam, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2018 There's a famous exchange in Robert Bolt's play A Man for All Seasons between Thomas More, who is Henry VIII's lord chancellor, and William Roper, his son-in-law to be. Michael Miner, Chicago Reader, 11 Jan. 2018 The depiction of Mary was found under a painting of John Maitland, a nobleman who became lord chancellor of Scotland. Jason Daley, Smithsonian, 31 Oct. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lord chancellor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lord chancellor was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near lord chancellor

Cite this Entry

“Lord chancellor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lord%20chancellor. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Legal Definition

Lord Chancellor

noun
: an official in the British judicial system whose duties include heading the Chancery Division and presiding over the Supreme Court of Judicature and the House of Lords in its judicial capacity

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