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
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
But Collins, now the head of special collections and archives at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, noticed that the text was written in Old French, the language used by aristocracy and England’s royal court after the Norman Conquest in 1066.
—
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
A little biographical information: He was born in 1896 into the decaying Bourbon aristocracy.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 7 Apr. 2025
Republican purists wanted a simple, technical training school that kept the costs low and, more importantly, kept the officer corps from evolving into an aristocracy.
—Ryan Shaw / Made By History, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
According to Back, this intellectual aristocracy persisted until the dilution of Bloomsbury by new members from outside the family lineage.
—Jenny Noyce, JSTOR Daily, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for aristocracy
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Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
A little biographical information: He was born in 1896 into the decaying Bourbon aristocracy.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 7 Apr. 2025
Republican purists wanted a simple, technical training school that kept the costs low and, more importantly, kept the officer corps from evolving into an aristocracy.
—Ryan Shaw / Made By History, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025
According to Back, this intellectual aristocracy persisted until the dilution of Bloomsbury by new members from outside the family lineage.
—Jenny Noyce, JSTOR Daily, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for aristocracy
Cite this Entry
“Aristocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aristocracy. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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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