courtesy titles
Preserved but no longer current.
Titles assumed or granted by social custom, but not of any legal value. The courtesy title of the eldest son of a duke is marquis', of a marquis is earl; of an earl is viscount. Younger sons of peers are by courtesy called lord or honourable, and the daughters are lady or honourable. These titles do not give the holders the right to sit in the House of Lords.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “courtesy titles” mean?
Titles assumed or granted by social custom, but not of any legal value. The courtesy title of the eldest son of a duke is marquis', of a marquis is earl; of an earl is viscount. Younger sons of peers are by courtesy called lord or honourable, and the daughters are lady or honourable. These titles do not give the holders the right to sit in the House of Lords.
Is “courtesy titles” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.