What does "esquire" mean?
A lawyer.
Esquire
/ˈɛskwaɪɚ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A lawyer.
- Grammar: esquire is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: address, amoroso, archduke, aristocrat.
- Useful contrasts: commoner, no title, peasant.
- Usage evidence: I am Robert Shallow, sir; a poor esquire of the county, and one of the king's justices of the peace.
How to use "esquire"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "esquire" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "esquire" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "esquire" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "esquire" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "esquire" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "address" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "esquire", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A lawyer. US, usually
- 2 The lower of the halves into which a square is divided diagonally, a single gyron, but potentially larger (extending across the shield) or smaller (for example, on Mortimer's arms). rare
"Thre pallets between ij Esquires bast dexter and sinister of the second."
- 3 a title of respect for a member of the English gentry ranking just below a knight; placed after the name wordnet
- 4 A male member of the gentry ranking below a knight.
"I am Robert Shallow, sir; a poor esquire of the county, and one of the king's justices of the peace."
- 5 (Middle Ages) an attendant and shield bearer to a knight; a candidate for knighthood wordnet
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 An honorific sometimes placed after a man's name.
- 7 A gentleman who attends or escorts a lady in public.
- 8 A squire; a youth who in the hopes of becoming a knight attended upon a knight archaic
- 9 A shield-bearer, but also applied to other attendants. obsolete
"The office of the esquire consisted of several departments; the esquire for the body, the esquire of the chamber, the esquire of the stable, and the carving esquire; the latter stood in the hall at dinner, carved the different dishes, and distributed them to the guests."
Verb
- 1 To attend, wait on, escort. obsolete, transitive
Example
"I am Robert Shallow, sir; a poor esquire of the county, and one of the king's justices of the peace."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "esquire"?
Common synonyms include: address, amoroso, archduke, aristocrat, armiger, attend.
How do you use "esquire" in a sentence?
I am Robert Shallow, sir; a poor esquire of the county, and one of the king's justices of the peace.
How do you pronounce "esquire"?
Pronounced /ˈɛskwaɪɚ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English esquier, from Old French escuyer, escuier, properly, a shield-bearer (compare modern French écuyer (“shield-bearer, armor-bearer, squire of a knight, esquire, equerry, rider, horseman”)), from Late Latin scūtārius (“shieldmaker, shield-bearer”), from Latin scūtum (“shield”); probably akin to English hide (“to cover”). The term squire is the result of apheresis. Compare equerry, escutcheon.
Etymology 2
Old French esquiere, esquierre, esquarre (“a square”) (whence modern French équerre), perhaps via a form like based esquire from bas d'esquire ("bottom of a square"), whence attested forms base (e)squire, e(s)quire bast.