aristocracy

aristocracy — noun

1. people from noble families, often with inherited titles and land, who belong to

1.nounC2
Definition

people from noble families, often with inherited titles and land, who belong to the highest social level in a country

Example

The old palace once belonged to a family from the French aristocracy.

pattern: family from the aristocracy

Many villages paid taxes to the local aristocracy for centuries.

historical context: local aristocracy

Common collocations
  • the British aristocracy
  • the French aristocracy
  • the landed aristocracy
  • hereditary aristocracy
  • members of the aristocracy
Synonyms
  • nobility

    the closest word, often stressing official noble rank and titles

  • upper class

    broader and more modern, and may include rich families without noble titles

  • elite

    much broader, covering top groups in business, culture, or politics

  • ruling class

    stresses political control rather than noble birth

Antonyms
  • commoners

    people without noble rank in older class systems

  • peasantry

    a historical word for ordinary farming people at the lower end of society

Grammar Patterns

the aristocracy

members of the aristocracy

the landed aristocracy

Usage Note

Usually appears with the and often names a country's noble group, as in the French aristocracy or the British aristocracy. It commonly refers to inherited rank or title, not simply to people who are rich.

Common Mistakes

Those movie stars belong to the aristocracy.
Those movie stars belong to the elite.
aristocracy usually means noble families with inherited rank, not just famous or wealthy people.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For this sense, aristocracy points to the hereditary noble class, especially in historical or European contexts. Nobility is the closest synonym and often sounds slightly more official, especially when titles such as duke or count matter. Upper class is broader and more modern: it can include wealthy families with social status even if they have no noble title. Elite is broader still, since it can describe the top people in politics, culture, sport, or business. Ruling class shifts the focus to power and control, not birth. You can write about the French aristocracy before the revolution, but a modern group of powerful bankers would usually be called the elite instead.

aristocracy ↗nobility ↗upper classelite ↗ruling class

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • belong to the aristocracy
  • a member of the aristocracy
  • the landed aristocracy

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Aristocracy came into English through French and Latin from a Greek word meaning rule by the best people. In modern English, the word usually refers not to a system of government, but to the noble social class connected with inherited titles, land, and power.