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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
More from Merriam-Webster on lord chancellor
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lord chancellor
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