noun
barrister
BAR-ihst-uh
noun
1
(chiefly British) A lawyer qualified to argue cases in the higher courts.
"She hired a barrister to represent her case before the High Court."
"He trained for years before being called to the bar as a barrister."
How to Use Barrister
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishIn the British legal system, a specialist lawyer who argues cases in court, as distinct from a solicitor who handles other legal work.
UK vs US
The barrister/solicitor split is a British and Commonwealth distinction; American English generally just uses "lawyer" or "attorney" for both roles.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
barristers plural
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She hired a _____ to represent her case before the High Court.
Etymology
Formed from bar (referring to the legal profession) plus the agent suffix -ster.