View source for Lord

{{Distinguish|Lordi|Lorde}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Short description|Title for a person or deity}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2019}}
{{refimprove article|date=December 2015}}
{{God}}
'''Lord''' is an [[appellation]] for a person or [[deity]] who has [[authority]], control, or [[power (social and political)|power]] over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler.<ref>Definition expands on: "lord" Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 28 Dec. 2011. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lord>.</ref><ref>"This word means in general one with power and authority, a master or ruler...The word is used for anyone whom it was desired to address deferentially" Cruden's Complete Concordance to the Bible, revised edition, 1992, "Lord", p.390</ref> The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the [[Peerage of the United Kingdom|peerage]] in the [[United Kingdom]], or are entitled to [[courtesy title]]s. The collective "Lords" can refer to a group or body of [[Peerages in the United Kingdom|peer]]s.

==Etymology==
[[File:Beowulf - hlaford.jpg|thumb|The Old English word 'hlaford' evolved into 'lord'.]]
According to the ''[[Oxford Dictionary of English]]'', the [[etymology]] of the word can be traced back to the [[Old English language|Old English]] word ''hlāford'' which originated from ''hlāfweard'' meaning "loaf-ward" or "bread-keeper", reflecting the [[Germanic tribes|Germanic]] tribal custom of a [[Germanic chieftain|chieftain]] providing food for his followers.<ref>Oxford English Dictionary Second Edition (Revised 2005), p.1036</ref> The appellation "lord" is primarily applied to men, while for women the appellation "[[lady]]" is used.  This is no longer universal: the [[Lord of Mann]], a title previously held by [[Elizabeth II|the Queen of the United Kingdom]], and female [[Lords Mayor]] are examples of women who are styled as "Lord".

==Historical usage==

===Feudalism===
{{main|Feudalism|English feudal barony|l2=English feudal baronies|Barons in Scotland|Lordship|Scottish feudal lordship}}
Under the [[feudalism|feudal system]], "lord" had a wide, loose and varied meaning. An [[overlord]] was a person from whom a landholding or a manor was held by a [[mesne lord]] or [[vassal]] under various forms of [[feudal land tenure]]. The modern term "[[landlord]]" is a vestigial survival of this function. A [[liege lord]] was a person to whom a vassal owed sworn allegiance. Neither of these terms were titular dignities, but rather factual appellations, which described the relationship between two or more persons within the highly stratified feudal social system. For example, a man might be [[lord of the manor]] to his own tenants but also a vassal of his own overlord, who in turn was a vassal of the King. Where a knight was a lord of the manor, he was referred to in contemporary documents as "John (Surname), knight, lord of (manor name)". A [[English feudal barony|feudal baron]] was a true titular dignity, with the right to attend Parliament, but a feudal baron, Lord of the Manor of many manors, was a vassal of the King.

===Manors===
{{See also|Lord of the manor}}
The substantive title of "lord of the manor" came into use in the English medieval system of [[feudalism]] after the [[Norman Conquest]] of 1066. The title "Lord of the Manor" was a titular [[Feudalism|feudal]] dignity which derived its force from the existence and operation of a [[manorial court]] or [[court baron]] at which he or his steward presided, thus he was the lord of the manorial court which determined the rules and laws which were to govern all the inhabitants and property covered by the jurisdiction of the court. To the tenants of a certain class of [[Manorialism|manor]] known in Saxon times as ''[[Infangenthef]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.manorialsociety.co.uk/glossary.html|title=Glossary|website=The Manorial Society of Great Britain}}</ref> their lord was a man who had the power of exercising [[capital punishment]] over them. The term invariably used in contemporary mediaeval documents is simply "lord of X", X being the name of the manor. The term "Lord of the Manor" is a recent usage of historians to distinguish such lords from [[English feudal barony|feudal barons]] and other powerful persons referred to in ancient documents variously as "Sire" (mediaeval French), "Dominus" (Latin), "Lord" etc.

===Laird===
{{See also|Laird}}
The Scottish title Laird is a shortened form of 'laverd' which is an old Scottish word deriving from an Anglo-Saxon term meaning 'Lord' and is also derived from the middle English word 'Lard' also meaning 'Lord'.  The word is generally used to refer to any owner of a landed estate and has no meaning in heraldic terms and its use is not controlled by the [[Lord Lyon King of Arms|Lord Lyon]].

==Modern usage==

===Substantive title===
Lord is occasionally used as part of a substantive British noble title in its own right: 

In the [[Peerage of Scotland]], the members of the lowest level of the peerage have the substantive title "[[Lord of Parliament]]" rather than Baron. 

The heir to the throne in Scotland holds the title [[Lord of the Isles]]. 

In England, the title [[Lord of the Isle of Wight]] used to exist but fell out of use before the creation of the modern peerage system. 

The British sovereign is also accorded the title [[Lord of Mann]] as head of state of the Isle of Mann.

The feudal title of "Lord of the Manor" is still recognised by the British Government for any such title registered at [[HM Land Registry|His Majesty's Land Registry]] before 13 October 2003 (the commencement date of the Land Registration Act 2002) but after that date titles can no longer be registered, and any such titles voluntarily de-registered by the holder cannot later be re-registered. However any transfer of ownership of registered manors will continue to be recorded in the register, on the appropriate notification. Thus in effect the register is closed for new registrations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/professional/guides/practice-guide-22|title=Manors: manorial titles and rights (PG22) - Publications - GOV.UK|website=www.landregistry.gov.uk|date=24 June 2015 |access-date=2016-08-23}}</ref> Such titles are legally classified as "incorporeal hereditaments" as they have no physical existence,<ref>Manors: manorial titles and rights (PG22)</ref> and usually have no intrinsic value. However a lucrative market arose in the 20th century for such titles, often for purposes of vanity, which was assisted by the existence of an official register, giving the purchaser the impression of a physical existence. Whether a title of "Lord of the Manor" is registered or unregistered has no effect on its legal validity or existence, which is a matter of law to be determined by the courts. Modern legal cases have been won by persons claiming rights as lords of the manor over [[village green]]s. The heads of many ancient English land-owning families have continued to be lords of the manor of lands they have inherited. The UK Identity and Passport Service will include such titles on a British passport as an "observation" (e.g., 'The Holder is the Lord of the Manor of X'), provided the holder can provide documentary evidence of ownership.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/agencies-public-bodies/ips/passports-policy-publications/observations-passports?view=Binary|title=Observations in passports - Publications - GOV.UK|website=www.homeoffice.gov.uk|access-date=2016-08-23}}</ref> The United States<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/documents/organization/94676.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2017-06-24 }}</ref> forbids the use of all titles on passports.  Australia forbids the use of titles on passports if those titles have not been awarded by the Crown (in reference to the Australian Monarchy) or the Commonwealth (in reference to the Australian Government).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2013L00440/Explanatory%20Statement/Text|title=Australian Passports Amendment Determination 2013 (No. 1)|website=Federal Register of Legislation|publisher=Australian Government|access-date=23 August 2016}}</ref>

===Peers and children of peers===
{{Main|Peerages in the United Kingdom}}
''Lord'' is used as a generic term to denote members of the [[peerage]]. Five ranks of [[peerage|peer]] exist in the United Kingdom: in descending order these are [[duke]], [[marquess]], [[earl]], [[viscount]], and [[baron]]. The appellation "Lord" is used most often by barons, who are rarely addressed by their formal and legal title of "Baron". The most formal style is "The Lord (X)": for example, [[Alfred Tennyson|Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson]], can be referred to as "The Lord Tennyson", although the most common appellation is "Lord Tennyson". Marquesses, earls and viscounts are commonly also addressed as Lord. Dukes use the style "The Duke of (X)", and are not correctly referred to as "Lord (X)". Dukes are formally addressed as "Your Grace", rather than "My Lord". 

"Lord" is also used as a [[courtesy title]] for younger sons of a [[British prince]], duke, or marquesses, in the style "Lord (first name) (surname)".<ref>{{Cite EB1911 |wstitle=Lord |volume=16 |page=992}}</ref> The eldest son of a peer would be entitled to use one of his father's subsidiary titles (if any). For example, [[Prince Edward, Duke of Kent]] holds the subsidiary title of Earl of St Andrews, which is used by his elder son [[George Windsor, Earl of St Andrews]], while his younger son is styled [[Lord Nicholas Windsor]]. However, if the father has no subsidiary title, the older son will assume a courtesy title of "Lord (last name)", such as in the case of the [[Earl of Devon]]. As these forms of address are merely courtesy titles, the holder is not actually a member of the peerage and is not entitled to use the definite article "The" as part of the title.

===House of Lords===
{{See also|House of Lords}}
The upper house of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] is the [[House of Lords]], which is an abbreviation of the full title, "The Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament Assembled". The [[Lords Temporal]] are the people who are entitled to receive [[Hereditary peer#Writs of summons|writs of summons]] to attend the House of Lords in right of a peerage. The [[Lords Spiritual]] are the Archbishops of  [[Archdiocese of Canterbury|Canterbury]] and  [[Archdiocese of York|York]], the Bishops of  [[Diocese of London|London]],  [[Diocese of Winchester|Winchester]] and  [[Diocese of Durham|Durham]], and the twenty-one longest-serving bishops of the [[Church of England]] from among the other bishops (plus some female bishops of shorter service in consequence of the [[Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015]]), who are all entitled to receive writs of summons in right of their bishoprics or archbishoprics.

The Lords Temporal greatly outnumber the Lords Spiritual, there being nearly 800 of the former and only 26 of the latter. As of December 2016, 92 Lords Temporal sit in the House in right of hereditary peerages (that being the maximum number allowed under the [[House of Lords Act 1999]]) and 19 sit in right of judicial life peerages under the [[Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876]]. The rest are life peers under the [[Life Peerages Act 1958]].

===Judiciary===
{{See also|Judiciary of the United Kingdom}}
[[File:Charles Pepys, 1st Earl of Cottenham by Charles Robert Leslie cropped.jpg|thumb|[[Charles Pepys, 1st Earl of Cottenham]], a [[Lord Chancellor]] of the United Kingdom]]
Until the creation of the [[Supreme Court of the United Kingdom]] (2009), certain [[judge]]s sat in the House of Lords by virtue of holding life peerages. Most of them (those who were members of the [[Appellate Committee of the House of Lords|Appellate Committee]]<!-- appointment to which was on a statutory basis from 1876, and under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act not synonymous with being a judge who was a peer, e.g. 70+ year olds were barred but could be Lords Justice of Appeal -->) were known collectively as the [[Lord of Appeal in Ordinary|Law Lords]]. All judges, including former Law Lords, lost the right to sit and vote in the House of Lords, despite retaining their life peerages, upon creation of the Supreme Court. The appellation "Lord", though not the style, is also used to refer to some judges in certain [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] legal systems, who are not peers. Some such judges, for instance judges of the [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales]], are called "Lord Justice". Other Commonwealth judges, for example judges of Canadian provincial supreme courts, are known only as Justices but are addressed with deference in court as 'My Lord', 'My Lady', 'Your Lordship' or 'Your Ladyship'.

Examples of judges who use the appellation "lord" include:
* Justices of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom not holding peerages, who are addressed as if they were life peers by [[Warrant (law)|Royal Warrant]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.supremecourt.uk/docs/pr_1013.pdf|title=Press Notice: Courtesy titles for Justices of the Supreme Court|date=13 December 2010|website=www.supremecourt.uk|publisher=The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom|access-date=23 August 2016}}</ref> Wives of male justices who are not peers are addressed as if they were wives of peers. These forms of address are applicable both in court and in social contexts.
* Judges of the [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales]], known as 'Lords Justices of Appeal'.
* Judges of the Scottish [[Court of Session]], known as 'Lords of Council and Session'.
* Justices of the Canadian provincial Supreme Courts, addressed in Court as "My Lord" or "My Lady" and referred to in legal literature as "Lordships" or "Ladyships".
* Judges of the [[Supreme Court of India]] and the [[High Courts of India]], who are addressed as "My Lord" and "Your Lordship" in court. The [[Bar Council of India]] called upon lawyers to give up this practice of addressing judges as 'lords' in 2006 but in practice, this was ignored.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/supreme-court-judge-stop-saying-my-lord-will-give-you-half-my-salary-4539579 | title="Stop Saying My Lord, Will Give You Half My Salary": Supreme Court Judge }}</ref>

===Naval===
The Board of Admiralty (1628–1964) was established in 1628 when Charles I put the office of [[Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom|Lord High Admiral]] into commission. The title Naval Lord to the Board of Admiralty was first used around the 1600s. These were a body of Senior Admirals, first called Naval Lord Commissioners, then Naval Lords then Professional Naval Lords then Sea Lords. The President of the Board was known as the First Lord of the Admiralty (with the other five Naval appointments being the Second Sea Lord, Third Sea Lord, etc. sequentially), or sometimes First Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty. With the abolition of the Board of Admiralty and its merger into the Ministry of Defence in 1964, formal control of the Navy was taken over by the Admiralty Board of the Defence Council of the United Kingdom, with the day-to-day running of the Navy taken over by the Navy Board. The office of Lord High Admiral was vested in the Crown (i.e. in the person of the current British monarch) and that of First Lord of the Admiralty ceased to exist, but the First, Second and Third Sea Lords retained their titles, despite ceasing to be Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. To this day (2023) the first two senior officers of the Royal Navy are still known as [[First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff]], and [[Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff]].

The Lords Commissioners were entitled collectively to be known as "The Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty", and were commonly referred to collectively as "Their Lordships" or "My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty", though individual members were not entitled to these styles. More informally, they were known in short as "The Lords of the Admiralty". The [[Board_of_Admiralty|Lords of the Admiralty]] are not peers.

===Ecclesiastical===
In [[Great Britain]] and [[Ireland]], and in most countries that are members or former members of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]], bishops may be addressed as "My Lord" or "My Lord Bishop" or "Your Lordship", particularly on formal occasions. This usage is not restricted to those bishops who sit in the [[House of Lords]]. Indeed, by custom, it is not restricted to bishops of the [[Church of England]] but applies to bishops of the [[Church in Wales]], the [[Scottish Episcopal Church]], and the [[Roman Catholic Church]], and may be applied (though less commonly) to bishops of other Christian denominations. It has become more common to use simply the one word "[[Bishop]]".

In the United States, bishops are addressed as "Excellency".

===Other High Offices of State===
Various other high offices of state in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth and Republic of Ireland are prefixed with the deferential appellation of "lord". 

These include: 
* [[Great Officers of State (United Kingdom)]] such as [[Lord Chancellor]], [[Lord Privy Seal]], and [[Lord President of the Council]]
* [[Local government in England|Council officials]] such as [[Lord mayor|Lord Mayor]] in England or [[Lord provost]] in Scotland.
* Royal representatives, such as the [[Lord-lieutenant]] and [[Lord High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland]]
* [[Heraldry|Heraldic]] officials such as the [[Lord Lyon King of Arms]]

Holders of these offices are not ''[[ex officio]]'' peers, although the holders of some of the offices were in the past always peers.

==Non-English equivalents==
In most cultures in Europe an equivalent appellation denoting deference exists. The French term ''[[Monseigneur|Mon Seigneur]]'' ("My Lord"), shortened to the modern French ''Monsieur'', derives directly from the [[Latin]] ''seniorem'', meaning "elder, senior".<ref>''Larousse Dictionnaire de la Langue Française'', Paris, 1979, p.1713</ref> From this Latin source derived directly also the Italian ''Signore'', the Spanish ''Señor'', the Portuguese ''[[Senhor]]''.

Non-[[Romance languages]] have their own equivalents.  Of the Germanic family there is the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] ''Meneer/Mijnheer/De Heer'' (as in: ''aan de heer Joren Jansen''), German ''Herr'', and Danish ''Herre''.  All three of these stem from a Germanic title of respect (in this case, from the [[Proto-Germanic language|Proto-Germanic]] root ''[[wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/hairaz|*haira-]]'', "hoary, venerable, grey", likely a loan translation of Latin ''seniorem'').<ref>{{cite web|url=http://etymonline.com/index.php?term=hoar&allowed_in_frame=0|title=Online Etymology Dictionary|website=etymonline.com|access-date=2016-08-23}}</ref> 
In other European languages there is [[Welsh language|Welsh]] ''Arglwydd'', [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] ''Úr'', Greek ''[[Kyrie]]'', [[Polish language|Polish]] ''Pan'', Czech ''pán'', [[Breton language|Breton]] ''Aotrou'', and [[Albanian language|Albanian]] ''Zoti''.

In several Indian languages there are the [[Hindi language|Hindi]] ''Swami'', ''Prabhu'', ''Thakur'', ''Samprabhu'' (Overlord) and also words like ''Saheb'' or ''Laat Saheb'' from ''Lord Saheb'' were once used but have changed in meaning now, [[Telugu language|Telugu]] ''Prabhuvu'', [[Tamil language|Tamil]] ''Koman'', [[Kannada]] ''Dore'', [[Bengali language|Bengali]] ''Probhu'', [[Gujarati language|Gujarati]] ''Swami'', [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] ''Su'āmī'', [[Nepali language|Nepali]] ''Prabhu''. Words like ''Swami'' and ''Prabhu'' are [[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]]-origin words, common in many Indian languages.

[[Languages of the Philippines|Philippine languages]] have different words for "lord", some of which are cognates. [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]] has ''Panginoón'' for "lord" in both the noble and the religious senses. Its root, ''ginoo'', is also found in [[Visayan languages]] like [[Cebuano language|Cebuano]] as the term for "lord". ''Ginoo'' is also the Tagalog root for ''Ginoóng'', the modern equivalent of the English term "[[Mr|Mister]]" (akin to how Romance language terms like ''señor'' may be glossed as either "lord", "mister", or "sir"). [[Ilocano language|Ilocano]] meanwhile employs ''[[Ilokano particles#apo|Apo]]'' for "Lord" in religious contexts; it is a [[Grammatical particle|particle]] that generally accords respect to an addressee of higher status than the speaker.

In the [[Yoruba language]] of West Africa, the words ''Olu'' and ''Oluwa'' are used in much the same way as the English term. [[Olodumare]], the Yoruba conception of [[God Almighty]], is often referred to using either of these two words. In the Yoruba [[chieftaincy]] system, meanwhile, the Oluwo of [[Iwo, Osun State|Iwo]]'s royal title translates to "Lord of Iwo". In [[Lagos]], the Oluwa of Lagos is one of that kingdom's most powerful chiefs.

== Religion ==
[[English language | English]]-speakers use the word "Lord" (generally with an initial upper-case letter) as a title of [[deference]] for various gods or deities. The earliest recorded use of "Lord" in the English language in a religious context<ref>
{{oed | lord}}
</ref>
occurred in the work of English writers such as [[Bede]] ({{circa | 673}} – 735). However, Bede wrote in Latin{{efn | Bede could refer to Jesus in Latin as {{lang | la | [[Dominus (title) | Dominus]]}}, for example in ''De temporibus'': "''Dominus nascitur''" (the Lord was born)<ref>
For example:
{{cite book
 |author               = Bede
 |author-link1         = Bede
 |editor-last1         = Giles
 |editor-first1        = John Allen
 |editor-link1         = John Allen Giles
 |year                 = 1843
 |chapter              = De temporibus: 22: De sexta Aetate
 |title                = The Complete Works of Venerable Bede, in the Original Latin: Accompanied by a New English Translation of the Historical Works and a Life of the Author
 |url                  = https://books.google.com/books?id=XCbrPwDEWC0C
 |language             = la
 |volume               = 6: Scientific tracts and appendix
 |publication-place    = London
 |publisher            = Whittaker and Company
 |page                 = 136
 |access-date          = 16 November 2024
 |quote                = [...] Dominus nascitur, completis ab Adam annis MMMDCCCCLII. [...] Dominus crucifigitur.
}} 
</ref>
The Latin word {{lang|la|{{linktext|dominus}}}}, originally associated with the master of a household, acquired conotations of "master", "owner" (of slaves, for example) and eventually of "lord" and "ruler".
}}
([[Michael Lapidge]] describes him as "without question the most accomplished Latinist produced in these islands in the Anglo-Saxon {{nowrap|period"<ref>
{{cite book
 | last1 = Lapidge
 | first1 = Michael
 | author-link1 = Michael Lapidge
 | chapter = Poeticism in Pre-Conquest Anglo-Latin Prose
 | editor1-last = Reinhardt
 | editor1-first = Tobias
 | editor1-link = Tobias Reinhardt
 | editor2-last = Lapidge
 | editor2-first = Michael
 | editor2-link = Michael Lapidge
 | editor3-last = Adams
 | editor3-first = John Norman
 | title = Aspects of the Language of Latin Prose
 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=N9o-jJJqOSIC
 | volume = 129
 | series = Proceedings of the British Academy
 |issn = 0068-1202
 | date = 24 November 2005
 | publisher = Oxford University Press/British Academy
 | publication-date = 2005
 | page = 323
 | isbn = 9780197263327
 | access-date = 15 April 2021
 | quote = A useful starting point is Bede, who was without question the most accomplished Latinist produced in these islands in the Anglo-Saxon period.
}}
</ref>).}} He used an Anglo-Saxon phrase{{which|date=April 2021}} that indicated a noble, prince, ruler or lord to refer to [[God in Christianity|God]]; however, he applied this as a gloss to the Latin text that he was producing, and not as a clear translation of the term itself. "Lord", as a gloss to Old English {{lang|ang|dryhten}},<ref>
{{oed | drightin}}
</ref>
meant "royal", "ruler", "prince", or "noble", and did not indicate a deity. After the 11th-century [[Norman Conquest|Norman invasion]] of England and the influx of Norman-French-speaking clerics, this semantic field began to appear in religious texts as well, but that occurred during the later Middle Ages and not in Bede's early medieval period. The word "Lord" appears frequently in the [[King James Bible]] of the early 17th century. See also the article [[Jesus is Lord]].
* English-language [[Old Testament]] translations such as the [[King James Version]] usually render the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] name [[Yahweh|''YHWH'']] (the [[Tetragrammaton]]) as "the {{LORD}}" with [[small caps]]. This usage follows the [[Jewish]] practice of substituting the spoken Hebrew word "[[Adonai]]" ("My Lords") for appearances of ''YHWH''.<ref>{{cite web |year= 1995 |title= Preface to the New American Standard Bible<!-- sic: don't shorten this --> |work= [[New American Standard Bible]] |edition=Updated |location= Anaheim, California |publisher= Foundation Publications (for the [[Lockman Foundation]]) |url= http://www.bible-researcher.com/nasb-preface.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061207004013/http://www.bible-researcher.com/nasb-preface.html |archive-date= 2006-12-07 |url-status= dead |quote=One of the titles for God is Lord, a translation of Adonai. There is yet another name which is particularly assigned to God as His special or proper name, that is, the four letters YHWH (Exodus 3:14 and Isaiah 42:8). This name has not been pronounced by the Jews because of reverence for the great sacredness of the divine name. Therefore, it has been consistently translated LORD. The only exception to this translation of YHWH is when it occurs in immediate proximity to the word Lord, that is, Adonai. In that case it is regularly translated GOD in order to avoid confusion. }}</ref>
* In [[Christianity]], [[New Testament]] translations into English often refer to [[Jesus]] as [[Jesus is Lord|"Lord" or "the Lord"]], translating Greek [[kyrios|κύριος]].
* In [[Aramaic]], the title [[Mar (title)|Mar]], which means "Lord", is used for saints, ecclesiastical figures, and Jesus.
* [[Ancient Semitic religion|Semitic religions]] gave other deities appellations corresponding to "Lord" including:
** [[Baʿal]] ("Lord"), as used by the [[Canaanites]] both as a generic term of address to various local deities and as the spoken name for the [[storm god]] [[Baʿal Haddu]] once the form "Hadad" became too sacred for any but his high priest to utter.
** Similarly, [[Tammuz (god)|Tammuz]] came to be addressed as "Adoni" ("My Lord").
* In the non-Semitic [[Sumer]]ian culture, [[EN (cuneiform)|''En'']] means "Lord", as in the names of Sumerian deities such as [[Enki]] and [[Enlil]].
* In [[Buddhism]], [[Gautama Buddha]] is often called "Lord Buddha".
* In [[Jainism]], "Lord" refers to the [[Mahavira]].
* In [[Ancient Greek religion|Ancient Greece]], the name ''[[Adonis]]'' was a form of the Semitic ''Adoni''.
* In [[Norse religion|Old Norse]], the names [[Freyr]] and [[Freya]] may have the etymological meaning "Lord" and "Lady" respectively.
* The [[Wicca]]n God is often referred to as "The Lord" and the Wiccan Goddess as "The Lady", or in the combination "Lord and Lady" (in this form, the definite article "[[the]]" is usually omitted), usually in reference to a mythological pairing such as [[Cernunos]] and [[Cerridwen]].
* Believers in [[Mormonism]] regard [[Jesus]] as the YHVH ([[Jehovah]]) of the [[Old Testament]] in his pre-mortal existence, and since that name is translated as "the Lord" in the [[King James Bible]], in Mormonism "the Lord" refers to Jesus. [[Elohim]], seen as a separate individual who is the father of Jesus, is generally referred to by Mormons as "God" or "Heavenly Father". (See [[Mormon cosmology]] for references.)
* In [[Hindu theology]], the ''[[Svayam Bhagavan]]'' may refer to the concept of the [[Absolute (philosophy)|Absolute]] representation of the monotheistic God. Another name more commonly used in Hindu theology is ''[[Ishvara]]'', meaning "The Lord", the [[personal god]] consisting of the trinity of [[Brahma]], [[Vishnu]], and [[Shiva]]. In common parlance, 'Lord' is used before many [[Hindu deities|deities]], for example, Lord [[Shiva]], Lord [[Ganesha]], Lord [[Rama]] etc. as a translation of "[[Shri]]".
* [[Islam]]: The English term "Lord" often translates the Arabic term ''[[rabb]]'' ({{langx|ar|رب}}).

==Titles==
Historical usage
* Europe:
** [[Lord Bishop]]
** [[Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom]]
** [[Lord High Constable (disambiguation)|Lord High Constable]]
** [[Lord High Steward]]
** [[Lord High Treasurer]]
** [[Lord Protector]]
* Asia:
** [[Nguyễn lords]]
** [[Trịnh lords]]

Present usage:
* [[Lord Chamberlain]]
* [[Lord Chancellor]]
* [[Lord Commissioner of Justiciary]]
* [[Lord High Admiral (disambiguation)|Lord High Admiral]]
* [[Lord Justice Clerk]]
* [[Lord Marshal (disambiguation)|Lord Marshal]]
* [[Lord mayor]]
* [[Lord of Council and Session]]
* [[Lord of the Isles]]
* [[Lord of the Treasury]]
* [[Lord President of the Court of Session]]
* [[Lord provost]]
* [[Lord Rector]]
* [[Lord Steward]]

== See also ==
* [[Forms of address in the United Kingdom]]
* {{Lang|nl|[[Heerlijkheid]]}}
* [[Lord's Prayer]]
* [[Milord]]
* [[False titles of nobility]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
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{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Wiktionary-inline}}
* {{Wikiquote-inline}}

{{Social titles}}
{{Social class}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lords| ]]
[[Category:Feudalism]]
[[Category:Men's social titles]]
[[Category:Names of God]]
[[Category:Noble titles]]
[[Category:Titles]]