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:4. a. A member of a rank of hereditary nobility in Britain or Ireland; a duke, marquess, earl, viscount, or baron. Also: a person elevated to the peerage for life, without hereditary rights; = LIFE PEER n. Also occas.: = peeress in her own right at PEERESS n.).

:4. a. A member of a rank of hereditary nobility in Britain or Ireland; a duke, marquess, earl, viscount, or baron. Also: a person elevated to the peerage for life, without hereditary rights; = LIFE PEER n. Also occas.: = peeress in her own right at PEERESS n.).

    

    

In the British peerage, earldoms and baronies were developed from titles in the Anglo-Saxon and Norman [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feudal_system feudal systems] (see BARON n. 2, EARL n. 3); dukedoms were conferred from 1337, marquessates from 1385, and viscountcies from 1440 (cf. also BARONET n.). Such peerages are hereditary, although non-hereditary life peerages, conferring the right to a seat in the House of Lords, have been created since 1876 in the case of judicial Lords of Appeal, and since 1958 more generally. By a declaration of the House of Lords in 1692, archbishops and bishops are Lords of Parliament, not peers.

In the British peerage, earldoms and baronies were developed from titles in the Anglo-Saxon and Norman [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feudal_system feudal systems] (see BARON n. 2, EARL n. 3); dukedoms were conferred from 1337, marquessates from 1385, and viscountcies from 1440 (cf. also BARONET n.). Such peerages are hereditary, although non-hereditary life peerages, conferring the right to a seat in the House of Lords, have been created since 1876 in the case of judicial Lords of Appeal, and since 1958 more generally. By a declaration of the House of Lords in 1692, archbishops and bishops are Lords of Parliament, not peers.

    

    

There are three classes of hereditary peers: peers of the United Kingdom (also called peers of the realm, up to 1707 called peers of England, and from 1707-1801 called peers of Great Britain), all of whom, unless specifically disqualified, were (until 1999) entitled to a seat in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_lords House of Lords], exempt from [[jury]] [[service]], and debarred from election (and from voting in elections) to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_commons House of Commons]; peers of Scotland, all of whom were (until 1999) entitled to a seat in the House of Lords after the Peerage Act of 1963 (previously sixteen were elected to each Parliament as representative members under the Act of Union 1707); and peers of Ireland, who no longer have the right to sit in the House of Lords, but who may be elected to the House of Commons (previously twenty-eight representatives were elected as life members under the Act of Union 1800). The House of Lords Act 1999 provided for hereditary peers to elect ninety-two of their number to take seats in the House of Lords alongside the life peers, pending further reforms.

There are three classes of hereditary peers: peers of the United Kingdom (also called peers of the realm, up to 1707 called peers of England, and from 1707-1801 called peers of Great Britain), all of whom, unless specifically disqualified, were (until 1999) entitled to a seat in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_lords House of Lords], exempt from [[jury]] [[service]], and debarred from election (and from voting in elections) to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_commons House of Commons]; peers of Scotland, all of whom were (until 1999) entitled to a seat in the House of Lords after the Peerage Act of 1963 (previously sixteen were elected to each Parliament as representative members under the Act of Union 1707); and peers of Ireland, who no longer have the right to sit in the House of Lords, but who may be elected to the House of Commons (previously twenty-eight representatives were elected as life members under the Act of Union 1800). The House of Lords Act 1999 provided for hereditary peers to elect ninety-two of their number to take seats in the House of Lords alongside the life peers, pending further reforms.

::b. French Hist. (a) Each of the twelve peers of France (see DOUZEPERS n.); (b) a person possessing a territory set up as a lordship, and having the right to a seat in the Parliament of Paris; (c) a member of the Upper Legislative Chamber (1814-48).

::b. French Hist. (a) Each of the twelve peers of France (see DOUZEPERS n.); (b) a person possessing a territory set up as a lordship, and having the right to a seat in the Parliament of Paris; (c) a member of the Upper Legislative Chamber (1814-48).

::c. [[Greek]] Hist. A member of that class of [[citizen]]s of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparta Sparta] who had an equal right to hold [[state]] offices.

::c. [[Greek]] Hist. A member of that class of [[citizen]]s of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparta Sparta] who had an equal right to hold [[state]] offices.

[[Category: General Reference]]

[[Category: General Reference]]