aristocracy
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French aristocratie, from Medieval Latin *aristocratia, from Ancient Greek ἀριστοκρατίᾱ (aristokratíā, “the rule of the best”), from ἄριστος (áristos, “best, noblest”) + -κρατίᾱ (-kratíā), from κράτος (krátos, “power, rule”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌæ.ɹɪˈstɒk.ɹə.si/
Audio (RP) (file) - (General American) IPA(key): /ˌɛɹ.ɪˈstɑk.ɹə.si/
Audio (GA) (file) - Hyphenation: a‧ris‧to‧cra‧cy
Noun
aristocracy (countable and uncountable, plural aristocracies)
- The nobility, or the hereditary ruling class
- Government by such a class, or a state with such a government
- A class of people considered (not normally universally) superior to others
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
the nobility or the hereditary ruling class
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government by such a class
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class of people considered superior to others
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Further reading
- aristocracy in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- aristocracy in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
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