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definitions

nobility

[ noh-bil-i-tee ]
/ noʊˈbɪl ɪ ti /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR nobility ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural no·bil·i·ties.

the noble class or the body of nobles in a country.
(in Britain) the peerage.
the state or quality of being noble.
nobleness of mind, character, or spirit; exalted moral excellence.
grandeur or magnificence.
noble birth or rank.

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RELATED WORDS

dignity, generosity, superiority, virtue, greatness, integrity, grandeur, magnanimity, majesty, society, elevation, incorruptibility, ennoblement, exaltation, royalty, gentry, magnificence, elite, loftiness, glorification

Nearby words

  1. nobelist,
  2. nobelium,
  3. nobile,
  4. nobiliary,
  5. nobiliary particle,
  6. noble,
  7. noble art,
  8. noble fir,
  9. noble gas,
  10. noble metal

Origin of nobility

1350–1400; Middle English nobilite < Latin nōbilitās. See noble, -ity
Related formsnon·no·bil·i·ty, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for nobility

British Dictionary definitions for nobility

nobility

/ (nəʊˈbɪlɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

a socially or politically privileged class whose titles are conferred by descent or by royal decree
the state or quality of being morally or spiritually good; dignitythe nobility of his mind
(in the British Isles) the class of people holding the titles of dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, or barons and their feminine equivalents collectively; peerage
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for nobility

nobility

n.

mid-14c., "quality of being excellent or rare," from Old French nobilite "high rank; dignity, grace; great deed" (12c., Modern French nobilité), and directly from Latin nobilitatem (nominative nobilitas) "celebrity, fame; high birth; excellence, superiority; the nobles," from nobilis "well-known, prominent" (see noble (adj.)). Meaning "quality of being of noble rank or birth" is attested from late 14c.; sense of "noble class collectively" is from 1520s.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper