I get annoyed with writers who won’t research the proper terminology for rank. This word confusion baron vs baronet is but one example.
Both titles can be inherited or as a life peer (the title is for that person’s lifetime and cannot be inherited).
Only a baron can sit in the House of Lords, are part of the peerage at its lowest level, and are addressed as Lord XX.
Baronets do not sit in the House of Lords, are not a part of the peerage, and are addressed as Sir XX.
You may want to explore “Baron versus Barren“.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
If you found this post on “Baron versus Baronet” interesting, consider tweeting it to your friends. Subscribe to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates.
| Baron | Baronet |
|---|---|
1785 . . . Baron von Munchhausen by James Vaughn is under the CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license, via Flickr. |
Edward Jenner is under the CC BY 4.0 license, via Look and Learn and courtesy of the Wellcome Collection. — Edward Jenner was made a baronet for his work on the smallpox vaccine. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun 1, 2
Feminine: baroness Plural: barons, baronesses |
Noun
Feminine: baronetess Plural: baronets, baronetesses |
A member of the lowest order of the British nobility 1
[With modifier] An important or powerful person in a specified business or industry [British] A joint of beef consisting of two sirloins joined at the backbone 2 |
A man or woman holding a British hereditary title of honor reserved for commoners, ranking immediately below the barons and above all orders of knighthood except the Garter and the Scottish Knights of the Garter and of the Thistle
The wife of a baronet |
| Examples: | |
| Yes, our friend the baron has his problems.
He was made a baron. Jacob Rothschild, 4th Baron Rothschild, inherited the title in 1990. The current usage of awarding the title baron was created by James I of England in 1611 as a means of raising funds for the crown. A baronet is not part of the peerage nor is he a knight. It’s an ongoing battle against the drug barons. Just before World War II, a number of newspaper barons either pushed their isolationist views, extolled Hitler’s leadership, or were against defending Hitler’s victims. Today’s oil barons include Vagit Alekperov, Mikhail Fridman, Viktor Vekselberg, Mukesh Ambani, and Charles and David Koch (Dalby). Other names for baron of beef include top sirloin, top butt, and center-cut roast. A baron of beef is well-suited to roasting or braising. |
Sir George Mill has to be invited to the dinner.
Will Sir John agree with you? He must have gained Sir Jervis Redwood’s favor and confidence — and he might even have been a guest at the baronet’s country seat — when Cecilia’s letter arrived. I had an interview with the baronet in his study after breakfast, and I told him all that I had seen. The baronet has been in communication with the architect who prepared the plans for Sir Charles, and with a contractor from London, so that we may expect great changes to begin here soon. Dame Alice was a nutty character in Ngaio Marsh’s Death of a Fool. The wife of a baronet is addressed as Lady LastName. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Abbreviation: Bar. Noun: baronage, baroness, baronial, barony |
Abbreviation: Bart., Bt, Btss Noun: baronetage, baronetcy, baronetess |
| History of the Word: | |
|
A diminutive of baron from the late Middle English from the Anglo-Latin baronettus, from the Latin baro, baron- meaning man, warrior.
The term originally denoted a gentleman, not a nobleman, summoned by the king to attend parliament; the current order was instituted in the early 17th century. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Baron versus Baronet
Apple Dictionary.com
Dalby, Chris. “Who Are The World’s Richest Oil Barons?” Oil Price.com. 17 July 2014. Web. 24 Oct 2022. <https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Who-Are-The-Worlds-Richest-Oil-Barons.html>.
The Free Dictionary: baron, baronet
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Arthur Edward Guinness, 1st Baron Ardilaun, 2nd Baronet by William Murphy is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, via Flickr.
