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

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

It was popular with the British aristocracy and celebrities in the 1960s and 1970s.

From BBC • Oct. 18, 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

They were forming a new aristocracy, a new breed of glittering men, and Chamberlain had come to crush it.

From "The Killer Angels: The Classic Novel of the Civil War" by Michael Shaara

Related Words

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