Legal Definitions - lordship

Definition: Lordship refers to:

1. Having power or control over something or someone.
2. An honorary title given to a nobleman who is not a duke.
3. A customary title for a judge or other public official.

Examples:

• After winning the war, the king claimed lordship over the entire kingdom.
• The Earl of Sussex was granted the lordship of the nearby village.
• Lordship Justice Smith presided over the trial and delivered the verdict.

The first example illustrates the first definition of lordship, where the king has power and control over the entire kingdom. The second example shows the second definition, where the Earl of Sussex is given an honorary title of lordship over a village. The third example demonstrates the third definition, where Lordship Justice Smith is a judge who holds a customary title.