earldom

The rank of being an earl.

Noun

  1. The rank of being an earl.
    • And, look when I am king, claim thou of me / The earldom of Hereford, and all the movables / Whereof the king my brother was possess'd. - c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third:...
  2. The territory controlled by an earl.

Origin

From Middle English erldom, from Old English eorldōm, equivalent to earl + -dom. Compare English jarldom. Cognate also with Scots eirldome, ȝerledom, erldom (“earldom”).

Forms

earldoms