aristocrat
Americannoun
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a member of an aristocracy, especially a noble.
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a person who has the tastes, manners, etc., characteristic of members of an aristocracy.
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an advocate of an aristocratic form of government.
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anything regarded as the best, most elegant, or most stylish of its kind.
the aristocrat of California wines.
noun
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a member of the aristocracy; a noble
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a person who has the manners or qualities of a member of a privileged or superior class
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a person who advocates aristocracy as a form of government
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.
Vocabulary lists containing aristocrat
"The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell
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Prince (1958-2016) Tribute List
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Medieval Europe - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The buyback aristocrat strategy showed a hypothetical 14.5% annual return over 10 years, with only 13% tech weighting.
From Barron's • May 7, 2026
The company’s future was very much in doubt when it found a savior in Enzo’s one-time protégé, Luca di Montezemolo, a blue-eyed Italian aristocrat with the steady hand to pull off a U-turn at Ferrari.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Her father was Anglo-Irish aristocrat Baron Ashbourne, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, the country's highest legal office at the time.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
How significant is it that Morès, like von Schönerer, was an aristocrat?
From Slate • Mar. 2, 2026
“Oho! We have an aristocrat here,” said one of the border guards.
From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
