noblesse

/ (nəʊˈblɛs) /

noun literary

noble birth or condition

the noble class

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Word Origin for noblesse

C13: from Old French; see noble

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

Examples from the Web for noblesse

In an update of Nancy Mitford's 'Noblesse Oblige', The Telegraph has this handy guide, entitled, “What type of RP do you speak?”
Prince William Has 'Less Posh' Voice Than Kate|Tom Sykes|November 6, 2012|DAILY BEAST
What if charity—giving out of love or noblesse oblige or religious commitment—doesn't go far enough?
Avoiding Sodom: It's About Policy, Not Charity|Gershom Gorenberg|September 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Mitt Romney started off this campaign cycle as a noblesse oblige candidate.
Romney–Ryan: The Rich Voter’s Dream Ticket|Daniel Gross|August 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The Romney-Ryan ticket now seems to be all noblesse, no oblige.
Romney–Ryan: The Rich Voter’s Dream Ticket|Daniel Gross|August 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST

The negative side of noblesse oblige is more important than the positive.
Folkways|William Graham Sumner
My kingdom was full of a quarrel 'twixt peasant and noblesse, 'twixt monk and friar, and merchant.
Long Will|Florence Converse
It is there that the most opulent priests live and there are settled the greatest part of the French noblesse.
Montreal 1535-1914, Volume II (of 2)|William Henry Atherton
At this period many of the sons of the noblesse were sent to France to enter the army or navy as cadets.
Montreal 1535-1914 under the French Rgime|William Henry Atherton
If he sought to take the King, what did he more than John of Gaunt would do, or others of the noblesse?
Long Will|Florence Converse

Word Origin and History for noblesse

noblesse

early 13c., "noble birth or condition," from Old French noblece "noble birth, splendor, magnificence" (Modern French noblesse), from Vulgar Latin *nobilitia, from Latin nobilis (see noble (adj.)). French phrase noblesse oblige "privilege entails responsibility" is attested in English first in 1837.