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aristocracy

UK/ˌæɹ.ɪˈstɒk.ɹə.si/US/ˌɛɹ.ɪˈstɑ.kɹə.si/
nounB2+Occasional — familiar, but not everyday · #9,821 of 15,258leans written

The aristocracy is the highest class in a society, holding titles by birth. The landed aristocracy.

The Greek behind it means rule by the best, which was a claim rather than a description. An aristocracy is defined by inheritance rather than by wealth, which is why new money was resented.

John Michael Wright · Public domain

Definitions of aristocracy

  1. 1nounaristocracyThe highest class in a society, holding titles by birth.B2+

    “The aristocracy owned most of the county until the war.”

aristocracy is a class.

Where it comes from

Greek aristokratia means rule of the best, from aristos, best, plus kratos, power.

  1. Proto-Indo-European

    *h₂er-

  2. Ancient Greek

    ἀριστοκρατίᾱ — the rule of the best“, that is, “the best-born”, “nobility

  3. Medieval Latin

    aristocratia

  4. Middle French

    aristocratie

  5. English, today

    aristocracy

Built from

  • ἄριστος · Ancient Greek — best, noblest
  • κράτος · Ancient Greek — power, rule

Borrowed from Middle French aristocratie, from Medieval Latin aristocratia, from Ancient Greek ἀριστοκρατίᾱ (“the rule of the best“, that is, “the best-born”, “nobility”), from ἄριστος (“best, noblest”) + -κρατίᾱ, from κράτος (“power, rule”). by surface analysis, aristo- + -cracy.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

aristocracy in the wild

  • Across Europe, the aristocracy exercised immense economic, political, and social influence.

    Aristocracy

  • The modern understanding of aristocracy is different from its classical use which referred to the citizens with good qualifications to rule.

    Aristocracy

  • The Mekwanint were the appointed nobles, often of humble birth, who formed the bulk of the aristocracy.

    Ethiopian aristocratic and court titles

  • The aristocracy is historically associated with a "hereditary" or a "ruling" social class.

    Aristocracy (class)

  • In many states, the aristocracy included the upper class with hereditary rank and titles.

    Aristocracy (class)

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

the aristocratie family

aristocrataristocracy

aristocracy — used about once every 5,283 pages · #9,821 · point at the bar for the others