Word
esq
Phoneticsesq
Definition
n. a title of respect that people in the US put after a lawyer's name. You only use it in writing, never when speaking to the person.
n. an honorific title placed after a person's surname, primarily used in the United States to identify a licensed attorney. In British English, it historically denoted a higher social rank below a knight but is now largely a formal courtesy for any man in written correspondence.
Examples
“The letter was addressed to Jane Doe, Esq.”
“When drafting the formal legal notice, the clerk made sure to append Esq. to the lead attorney's name.”
Examples
simple
“The letter was addressed to Jane Doe, Esq.”
contextual
“When drafting the formal legal notice, the clerk made sure to append Esq. to the lead attorney's name.”
Usage
Always abbreviated as 'Esq.' and placed after the full name; it is never used alongside other titles like 'Mr.' or 'Ms.'
Pitfall
Mr. John Smith, Esq.
John Smith, Esq.
Esq. is a post-nominal title that replaces honorifics like Mr. or Ms. rather than complementing them.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/esq