A baronet (traditional abbreviation Bart, modern abbreviation Bt) or the rare 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 originally introduced, in England and Ireland, 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 Ritter and the Dutch erfridder, may be held to be similar. There were originally three hereditary knighthoods in Ireland, of which one is extinct.
The name baronet is a diminutive of the peerage title baron. The rank of a baronet is between that of a baron and a knight.