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

She followed that by playing widowed aristocrat Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in To the Manor Born, which first aired in 1979.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 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

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

This spring and summer, the National Archives is mounting a special exhibition here about the Marquis de Lafayette, the French aristocrat who played a key role in the American Revolution.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 10, 2026

“So the aristocrat presumes to lecture us about equality,” he said.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

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

If these aristocrats fall out of favor, look past accounting measures and consider paying what still looks like a high sticker price for that pedigree.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026

Dividend aristocrats are supposed to be conservative blue chips.

From Barron's ● Apr. 1, 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

Two aristocrats are out horseback riding and one challenges the other to see which can come up with the larger number.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos

Related Words

• noble