Lincoln's Inn

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

One of the four Inns of Court (<7-v.), in London. Henry Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, built a mansion here in the 14th century on ground which had belonged to the Black Fnars, but was granted to him by Edward I, A Bishop of Chichester, in the reign of Henry VII, granted leases here to certain students of law.

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 “Lincoln's Inn” mean?

One of the four Inns of Court (<7-v.), in London. Henry Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, built a mansion here in the 14th century on ground which had belonged to the Black Fnars, but was granted to him by Edward I, A Bishop of Chichester, in the reign of Henry VII, granted leases here to certain students of law.

Is “Lincoln's Inn” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.