A Lord is a person who has power and authority . It can have different meanings depending on the context of use . Women will usually ( but not universally ) take the title ‘ Lady ’ instead of Lord . The etymology of the English word lord goes back to Old English ‘ loaf - guardian ’- reflecting the Germanic tribal custom of a superior providing food for his followers . The female equivalent , Lady , may come from words meaning ‘ loaf - kneader ’. In a religious context , The Lord or The LORD is a name referring to God , Jesus , or the Holy Spirit , mainly by the Abrahamic religions ( Judaism , Islam , and Christianity ) . The Lady is a title used in Christianity to refer to the Virgin Mary .