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Added 9 October 2026

baron

/ˈbæɹən/ noun

In Latin: barō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about baron at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A nobleman (in various countries) of varying rank.
A British peer of the lowest rank.
A very wealthy or powerful businessman.
an oil baron

Origin

From Middle English baroun, from Old French baron, from Latin barōnem, from Proto-West Germanic *barō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to bear”). Cognate with Old High German *baro (“human being, man, freeman”), Old English bora (“a man who bears responsibility, one who is in charge, a ruler”), and perhaps to Old English beorn (“man, warrior”). Used in early Germanic law in the sense of "man, human being". A Celtic origin has also been suggested; see the quote under sense 3 of Latin barō. However, the OED takes the hypothetical Proto-Celtic *bar- (“hero”) to be a figment.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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