baron

noun bah-ROHN Less Common

Also means

magnate, tycoon (figurative)

Usage Note

Baron is both a noble title (the lowest rank of the French peerage) and a figurative label for a powerful businessman or media mogul (un baron de la presse — a press baron). The feminine is baronne. In the French system, the title baron was officially abolished after the Revolution but informally persists in aristocratic circles. The final 'n' is nasal; the word rhymes with garçon.

Examples

"Ce baron possède plusieurs châteaux."

Natural Translation

This baron owns several châteaux.

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