aristocracy

American  

[ar-uh-stok-ruh-see] / ˌær əˈstɒk rə si /

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.

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aristocracy British  

/ ˌærɪˈstɒkrəsɪ /

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

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aristocracy Cultural  

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

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Discover More

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

Other Word Forms

• antiaristocracy adjective
• proaristocracy adjective

Etymology

Origin of aristocracy

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

Explanation

A person who's "born to rule" belongs to the ruling class, or aristocracy, and is "noble" just by being in the family line — whether they have done anything noble or not. In an aristocracy, a princess who doesn’t visit sick children or clear land mines is still a princess. "Rule of the best" or "by a privileged class" are 16th-century Latin meanings for aristocracy. There are examples of the "best" coming from ordinary society, no matter who their parents are, but often the aristocracy is made up of families who start ruling and keep the power in the family generation after generation. Kings and queens, princes and princesses, and dukes and earls, are all titles within an aristocracy, though some really hard-working and noble outsiders may earn a spot in the aristocracy too.

Example Sentences

In medieval England, venison with its gamey taste was highly prized by the aristocracy.

From Barron's • Dec. 21, 2025

Federalists in Congress said the columned walkways had a whiff of aristocracy unbefitting the building’s democratic simplicity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

Marie Antoinette would be executed in October of the same year; French fashion influence was a sign of an effete aristocracy that was potentially losing its grip.

From Slate • Jul. 21, 2025

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 Salon • Apr. 9, 2025

This story, embellished or not, became part of Andrew Jackson’s legacy as a defiant and lifelong enemy of the British and the world of privilege and aristocracy they represented.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

Related Words

• elite
• gentility
• gentry
• nobility
• upper class
• upper crust