noblesse

British  

/ nəʊˈblɛs /

noun

1. noble birth or condition

2. the noble class

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Etymology

Origin of noblesse

C13: from Old French; see _noble

Example Sentences

They rode to work in Rolls-Royces and adhered to a Protestant ethic of noblesse oblige.

From The Wall Street Journal

There might be just a dash of noblesse oblige in there, too, a little well-intentioned clemency from soccer’s great conqueror.

From New York Times

His noblesse oblige masked a steely newsman who stood by his publication and industry whenever they were under attack.

From Los Angeles Times

It's the "noblesse oblige" posturing of 19th-century industrialists, who pretended that building a few museums made up for grinding underpaid workers into dust.

From Salon

Given the vast wealth gap between likely patrons and these portrait-subjects, the question creates an inescapable aura of noblesse oblige.

From Los Angeles Times