lord paramount

English

Noun

lord paramount (plural lords paramount)

1. (law, historical) A lord holding land under allodial title and owing no rent or feudal obligations to another.
2. (law, historical, inexact) Synonym of overlord: any superior lord.

Usage notes

Under English law since the 1066 Norman Conquest, all legal title to land is generally held to be subordinate to the Crown as the sole lord paramount. However, certain privileges are retained by the Duke of Cornwall (now always the crown prince) and—notionally—the Duke of Lancaster, although that title is held in personal union by the reigning monarch. Similarly, some nobles retain the traditional style of lords paramount despite their actual subordination to the Crown.

Coordinate terms

• tenant-in-chief, mesne lord