aristocrat

American  

[uh-ris-tuh-krat, ar-uh-stuh-] / əˈrɪs təˌkræt, ˈær ə stə- /

noun

• aristocrats
  plural

1. a member of an aristocracy, especially a noble.

   Synonyms:

   lord, peer, patrician

2. a person who has the tastes, manners, etc., characteristic of members of an aristocracy.

3. an advocate of an aristocratic form of government.

4. anything regarded as the best, most elegant, or most stylish of its kind.

   the aristocrat of California wines.

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aristocrat British  

/ ˈærɪstəˌkræt /

noun

1. a member of the aristocracy; a noble

2. a person who has the manners or qualities of a member of a privileged or superior class

3. a person who advocates aristocracy as a form of government

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• aristocrats
  plural

Etymology

Origin of aristocrat

First recorded in 1770–80; from French aristocrate, back formation from aristocratie aristocracy

Explanation

An aristocrat is someone from the ruling class, usually those with nobility, money, or both. Although not an aristocrat yourself, you may have the odd viscount on your family tree if you go back far enough. The word aristocrat comes from the Greek word aristokratia, which itself comes from the root words aristos, meaning "best," and kratos, meaning "rule." So, the aristocracy was the ruling class of (supposedly) the best and noblest people, and an aristocrat was a member of that class. Today the word can also be applied to anyone with superior standing: Count Basie was an aristocrat in the jazz world.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

aristocrat aristocrats

There were hair-metal bands that only had power ballads — Firehouse or some band with 17th century French aristocrat hair.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

And her transition to her next comedy hit To the Manor Born, playing true-blue aristocrat Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, felt seamless.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

Thomas Jefferson at home, the British aristocrat who backed American rebels, a garbage collector’s view of life and more.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

Depicting the singer as a Baroque aristocrat clad in contemporary designer fashion, the portrait helped propel González onto an international stage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026

“I think the aristocrat needs to understand why his behavior must be controlled,” Jorge said.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

They and other actors and aristocrats were visitors to the Scarborough Tunny Club, founded in the 1930s and which survives today as a fish and chip restaurant.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Among them was the academy’s annual summer party, themed after 18th-century Georgian pleasure gardens — Britain’s oil-lamp-lit outdoor venues where aristocrats, the newly rich and everyday revelers gathered to see, be seen and behave badly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

But the dividend aristocrats managed to beat the wider index, as long as those steady divis were reinvested—something an ordinary investor can do automatically by updating the settings in their brokerage account.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

But amongst MPs in the other place next door, and outside the Houses of Parliament, the idea of continuing to allow aristocrats seats by dint of birth is anathema to many.

From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026

Probability theory was invented to help rich aristocrats win more money with their gambling.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

• noble