Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for

aristocracy

[ ar-uh-stok-ruh-see ]

noun

plural aristocracies.
  1. a class of persons holding exceptional rank and privileges, especially the hereditary nobility.
  2. a government or state ruled by an aristocracy, elite, or privileged upper class.
  3. government by those considered to be the best or most able people in the state.
  4. a governing body composed of those considered to be the best or most able people in the state.
  5. any class or group considered to be superior, as through education, ability, wealth, or social prestige.


aristocracy

/ ˌæɪˈɒəɪ /

noun

  1. a privileged class of people usually of high birth; the nobility
  2. such a class as the ruling body of a state
  3. government by such a class
  4. a state governed by such a class
  5. a class of people considered to be outstanding in a sphere of activity
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

aristocracy

  1. A privileged, primarily hereditary ruling class , or a form of government controlled by such an elite.
Discover More

Notes

Traditionally, the disproportionate concentration of wealth, social status , and political influence in the aristocracy has been resented by the middle class and lower class.
Discover More

Other Word Forms

  • t·i·ٴdz۲· adjective noun plural antiaristocracies
  • a··ٴdz۲· adjective
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of aristocracy1

First recorded in 1555–65; from Middle French aristocratie, from Medieval Latin aristocracia, aristocratia, from Greek ٴǰí “rule of the best”; equivalent to aristo- + -cracy
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of aristocracy1

C16: from Late Latin aristocratia, from Greek aristokratia rule by the best-born, from aristos best; see -cracy
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

During this era, known as the Gilded Age, the wealthiest families in America, such as the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts, formed a new social elite akin to European aristocracy.

From

As an American woman who married into the British aristocracy back in 2004, the countess knows firsthand the challenge of slipping between two cultures.

From

For decades, it was a popular party drug among the English aristocracy, who reveled in “laughing gas parties” before it was first used as an anesthetic and analgesic in medical settings.

From

Clear-eyed and steady today, she finishes her earlier thought while piling salt on her arancini: “It’s forbidden for the aristocracy to speak to the press. But in my case, I had no choice.”

From

Oysters were beloved by the aristocracy at the same time as they provided protein for the very poorest.

From

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


aristoaristocrat