aristocracy
noun
ar·is·toc·ra·cy
ˌa-rə-ˈstä-krə-sē 
ˌer-ə-
plural aristocracies
1
: government by the best individuals or by a small privileged class
2
a
: a government in which power is vested (see vest entry 2 sense 1a) in a minority consisting of those believed to be best qualified
b
: a state with such a government
3
: a governing body or upper class usually made up of a hereditary nobility
a member of the British aristocracy
4
: a class or group of people believed to be superior (as in rank, wealth, or intellect)
an intellectual aristocracy
Synonyms
Examples of aristocracy in a Sentence
a member of the aristocracy
at one time in China only the aristocracy could own land
Recent Examples on the Web
Not the European aristocracy, which surrendered much of its wealth to industrialization and estate taxes.
—
Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
The sport has been a part of the Black middle class and aristocracy since 1890, when the leaders of Tuskegee University in Alabama, an HBCU co-founded in 1881 by Dr. Booker T. Washington, built a tennis court on its grounds.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 25 Aug. 2024
The little one will also inherit a minor royal title from Edo's side of the family, as he is descended from Italian aristocracy.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 10 Oct. 2024
Most came from the Prussian aristocracy, a group traditionally wary of Hitler's populism and Nazi ideology.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
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Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024
The sport has been a part of the Black middle class and aristocracy since 1890, when the leaders of Tuskegee University in Alabama, an HBCU co-founded in 1881 by Dr. Booker T. Washington, built a tennis court on its grounds.
—Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 25 Aug. 2024
The little one will also inherit a minor royal title from Edo's side of the family, as he is descended from Italian aristocracy.
—Janine Henni, People.com, 10 Oct. 2024
Most came from the Prussian aristocracy, a group traditionally wary of Hitler's populism and Nazi ideology.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for aristocracy
Dictionary Entries Near aristocracy
Cite this Entry
“Aristocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aristocracy. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
aristocracy
noun
ar·is·toc·ra·cy
ˌar-ə-ˈstäk-rə-sē
plural aristocracies
1
: a government run by a small class of people
2
a
: an upper class that is usually based on birth and is richer and more powerful than the rest of society
b
: persons thought to be better than the rest of the community
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