courtesy title

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

cour′tesy ti′tle, 

1. a title applied or assumed through custom, courtesy, or association and without regard for its being officially merited.
2. a title allowed by custom, as to the children of dukes.
• 1860–65

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

courtesy title noun

1. any of several titles having no legal significance, such as those borne by the children of peers