Barrister
/ˈbærɪstə(r)/noun
A lawyer qualified to represent clients in the higher courts, especially in England and Wales.
Did you know?The legal bar was originally a physical rail or barrier separating the public from judges and officers of the court, and lawyers admitted to practice were therefore called barristers.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Mediterranean
Latin
barra
“A bar, barrier, or obstruction; probably a loanword that entered Latin from an earlier source.”
Medieval French
Old French
barre
“A bar, barrier, or boundary; also used for a legal boundary or railing.”
14th–15th Century
Middle English
barre
“The railing or partition in a courtroom separating the public from the judges and legal officials.”
16th Century
English
barrester
“A legal practitioner who had been called to the bar; the form later developed into barrister.”
Modern English
English
barrister
“A lawyer specializing in advocacy and courtroom representation, especially in the British legal tradition.”