barrister
pronunciation
How to pronounce barrister in British English:
UK [ˈbærɪstə(r)]
How to pronounce barrister in American English:
US [ˈbærɪstɚ]
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- Noun:
- a British lawyer who speaks in the higher courts of law
Word Origin
- barrister
- barrister: [16] A barrister is a lawyer who has been ‘called to the bar’ – that is, admitted to plead as an advocate in the superior courts of England and Wales. This notion derives from the ancient practice of having in the inns of court a partition separating senior members from students, which barrier the students metaphorically passed when they qualified. The ending -ister was probably added on the analogy of such words as minister and chorister.=> bar
- barrister (n.)
- 1540s, "a student of law who has been called to the bar," from bar (n.3) in the legal sense + -ster. Also see attorney. The second element is obscure.
Example
- 1. In the corridor his barrister congratulated him .
- 2. Mr stedman jones , a london barrister , lays it out like a rugby match .
- 3. Mr du 's barrister , alexander king , declined to comment .
- 4. They have been improbable soul-mates , the silver-tongued british barrister and the drawling republican from texas .
- 5. One man who thinks so is a serial oxbridge reject who now works as a barrister in london .