noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ˈbæɹ.ɪst.ə(ɹ)/
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:B AE1 R IH0 S T ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:B EH1 R IH0 S T ER0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A lawyer with the right to speak and argue as an advocate in higher lawcourts.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Australia, Ireland, New-Zealand, UK
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
a British or Canadian lawyer who speaks in the higher courts of law on behalf of either the defense or prosecution
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: lawyer, attorney
Narrower terms: Counsel to the Crown, serjeant-at-law, serjeant, sergeant-at-law, sergeant
History
Etymology
From bar (a collective term for lawyers or the legal profession) and the suffix -ster.
Across languages
Translations
34 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
адвока́т
(advokát)
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Chinese Mandarin:
律師 /律师
(lǜshī)
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Dutch:
advocaat
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Dutch:
advocate
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Esperanto:
advokato
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Estonian:
advokaat
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Finnish:
asianajaja
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
French:
avocat
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
French:
avocate
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
German:
Barrister
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
German:
Anwalt
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
German:
Anwältin
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
German:
Rechtsanwalt
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
German:
Rechtsanwältin
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Greek:
συνηγόρος
(synigóros)
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Icelandic:
málafærslumaður
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Irish:
abhcóide
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Italian:
avvocato
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Japanese:
弁護士
(bengoshi)
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Norman:
avocat
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Norman:
homme d'affaithes
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Plautdietsch:
Ofkot
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Polish:
adwokat
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Polish:
adwokatka
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Portuguese:
barrister
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Romanian:
avocat
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Romanian:
avocată
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Russian:
адвока́т
(advokát)
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Russian:
ба́рристер
(bárristɛr)
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Spanish:
legalista
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Thai:
เนติบัณฑิต
(nee-dtì-ban-dìt)
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Ukrainian:
адвока́т
(advokát)
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Ukrainian:
ба́ристер
(báryster)
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
Welsh:
bargyfreithiwr
— lawyer with the right to speak as an advocate in higher lawcourts
