A dignity or degree of honor next below a baron and above a knight, having precedency of all orders of knights except those of the Garter. It is the lowest degree of honor that is hereditary. The baronets are commoners.

The title of the first rank below the peerage. A baronet ranked just below a baron and just above a knight and was considered a member of the gentry, not the nobility.

A post-medieval title created by James I on May 22, 1611, ranking below a peer and above a knight.

a member of the British order of honor; ranks below a baron but above a knight; "since he was a baronet he had to be addressed as Sir Henry Jones, Bart."

a hereditary knight

a heriditary title. It does not confer membership of the nobility. The rules for terms of address are: Self Sir + first name Wife Lady + surname Son Mr Daughter Miss

a British hereditary title of honour, ranking next below a baron, held by commoners and entitling its bearer to be addressed "Sir."

A baronet (traditional abbreviation Bart, modern abbreviation Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown known as a baronetcy. The practice of awarding baronetcies was introduced by James I of England in 1611 in order to raise funds. Baronetcies have no European equivalent, though hereditary knights, such as the German and Austrian and the Dutch , may be held to be similar.