- a member of a municipal legislative body, especially of a municipal council.
- (in England) one of the members, chosen by the elected councilors, in a borough or county council.
- Early English History.
- a chief.
- (later) the chief magistrate of a county or group of counties.
- a pot belly.
- (in England and Wales until 1974) one of the senior members of a local council, elected by other councillors
- (in the US, Canada, Australia, etc) a member of the governing body of a municipality
- history a variant spelling of ealdorman
