noun Law.
- (in England) a lawyer who is a member of one of the Inns of Court and who has the privilege of pleading in the higher courts.Compare solicitor(def 4).
- Informal. any lawyer.
noun
- Also called: barrister-at-law (in England) a lawyer who has been called to the bar and is qualified to plead in the higher courtsCompare solicitor See also advocate, counsel
- (in Canada) a lawyer who pleads in court
- US a less common word for lawyer
1540s, “a student of law who has been called to the bar,” from bar (n.3) in the legal sense + -ster. Also see attorney. The second element is obscure.