Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Her name is Sophie Beckett, the daughter of an earl who was forced into servitude by her cruel stepmother after her father’s death.—Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026 And while King Charles did not make Kerry a duke, an earl, a marquess, viscount or a baron, the knighthood was royal stuff enough.—Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 4 Dec. 2025 In September 1607, the earls of Tyrone, Tyrconnell, their families and almost a hundred of their followers fled Ulster and boarded a ship at Lough Swilly bound for Rome and exile.—Literary Hub, 25 Nov. 2025 In the book, Benedict falls for Sophie Beckett, the daughter of an earl who’s been hidden away from the Ton and forced to work as a housemaid by her spiteful stepmother.—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for earl
Word History
Etymology
Middle English erl, from Old English eorl warrior, nobleman; akin to Old Norse jarl warrior, nobleman