my liege

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrasearchaic

   A respectful way of speaking to a king, lord or other ruler to whom you owe loyalty, found in stories about the past.

   Grammar: Used as a form of address, often at the start or end of a sentence: Yes, my liege.

   Patterns

   • Yes, my liege
   • my liege, something

   The knight knelt and said, 'I bring news from the border, my liege.'

   'As you wish, my liege,' murmured the steward.

   In the play, the messenger begged, 'Forgive me, my liege.'

2. 2phrasefixed phrasehumorous

   A jokingly grand way of addressing someone who is acting like the boss.

   Grammar: Used playfully in modern speech, never seriously: Your coffee, my liege.

   Patterns

   • Yes, my liege

   Your tea is ready, my liege.

   'Do I have to carry your bag too, my liege?' she asked with a grin.

   He bowed low and said, 'Dinner is served, my liege.'

Common combinations

Yes, my liege

'Yes, my liege,' said the guard, hurrying away.

Forgive me, my liege

Forgive me, my liege, for arriving late.

my liege lord

He swore loyalty to his liege lord.

as you command, my liege

As you command, my liege, the gates will be opened.

Synonyms and how they differ

Your Majesty

Your Majesty is the formal address to a king or queen and is still correct today, unlike my liege.

my lord

My lord is a more general address to a nobleman or judge and has not fallen out of use as completely.

sire

Sire is a similar old address specifically to a king, and it appears in the same sort of stories.

Word family

liege noun

a lord entitled to the loyalty of his vassals

liegeman noun

a man sworn to serve a feudal lord

liege lord noun

a feudal superior to whom service is owed

Commonly confused: my liege or leige?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “my liege”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words