Meaning & use
baronets
Last updated
“baronets” is a form of “baronet”.
Meaning
nounplural
men who hold a British hereditary title ranking below a baron and above a knight.
Grammar: This is the plural of 'baronet'; use it for two or more holders of the title.
Patterns
- a group of baronets
- the baronets of England
The old hall was built by one of the local baronets in the eighteenth century.
Several baronets attended the ceremony, each wearing the family crest.
The list of baronets in the county has been updated in the new edition.
Word forms
| singular | baronet |
|---|
Common combinations
- a hereditary baronet
- He is a hereditary baronet, so the title passes to his son.
- the baronetcy
- The baronetcy was created in 1642 by King Charles I.
- Sir John Smith, Bt
- In formal writing, a baronet's name is followed by 'Bt'.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- baronetcy noun
- the rank or position of a baronet.
- baronetage noun
- baronets as a group, or a list of them.
Commonly confused: baronets or baroness?
baronets vs baroness
A baroness is a woman who holds a barony or the wife of a baron; a baronet is a different, lower title held by a man.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'baronets' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Baronets is a plural noun meaning men who hold that title, so 'Two baronets ... attended' fits. Option 0 is wrong because baronets are not peers and do not automatically sit in the Lords; option 2 is wrong because 'a baronets' is not grammatical and the title is normally held by men; option 3 is wrong because the usual plural would be 'baronets' (not 'baronets' as a singular) and women are not created baronets.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “baronets”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.