noun ·3 syllables ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A lawyer with the right to speak and argue as an advocate in higher lawcourts. Australia, Ireland, New-Zealand, UK

   "Postmen, binmen, dock workers, even barristers are now on strike. Where will all this end?"

2. 2
   a British or Canadian lawyer who speaks in the higher courts of law on behalf of either the defense or prosecution wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

advocateagentamicus curiaeattorneyattorney-at-lawbarrister at law

Example

More examples

"She practised as a barrister for many years."

Etymology

From bar (a collective term for lawyers or the legal profession) and the suffix -ster.

Related phrases

junior barristerrevising barristerutter barrister

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.