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
The fabric, once a symbol of elite aristocracy, was found in a lead coffin, along with other exceptional artifacts.
—
Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025
The town has been a magnet for European aristocracy and the international jet-set since the 1950s.
—Miles Socha, WWD, 7 Jan. 2025
Edo is descended from Italian aristocracy and will inherit the family’s ancestral seat, the 18th-century Villa Mapelli Mozzi palace in Northern Italy.
—Rachel Burchfield, People.com, 2 Oct. 2024
Cosmo Jarvis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike and Anthony Hopkins were earlier announced for the movie that sees Ritchie return to the colorful, back-stabbing world of the British aristocracy.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for aristocracy
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 14 Feb. 2025
The town has been a magnet for European aristocracy and the international jet-set since the 1950s.
—Miles Socha, WWD, 7 Jan. 2025
Edo is descended from Italian aristocracy and will inherit the family’s ancestral seat, the 18th-century Villa Mapelli Mozzi palace in Northern Italy.
—Rachel Burchfield, People.com, 2 Oct. 2024
Cosmo Jarvis, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rosamund Pike and Anthony Hopkins were earlier announced for the movie that sees Ritchie return to the colorful, back-stabbing world of the British aristocracy.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Feb. 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 13 Mar. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share