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
See treasures The elegant artifacts likely belonged to a high-ranking individual, possibly a member of the aristocracy, experts said.
—
Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2025
The period drama, which Marsh also co-wrote and starred in, tackled the decline of British aristocracy in the early 1900s, as depicted in the lives of the affluent Bellamy family and their servants.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
His only friends were the sons and some daughters of the old English aristocracy, who were all like this.
—Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 19 Mar. 2025
Its purple dye, now faded to a red tint, was associated with elite aristocracy in ancient times, the institute said.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 12 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.
Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2025
The period drama, which Marsh also co-wrote and starred in, tackled the decline of British aristocracy in the early 1900s, as depicted in the lives of the affluent Bellamy family and their servants.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 14 Apr. 2025
His only friends were the sons and some daughters of the old English aristocracy, who were all like this.
—Stephanie Nolasco, Fox News, 19 Mar. 2025
Its purple dye, now faded to a red tint, was associated with elite aristocracy in ancient times, the institute said.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 12 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 30 Apr. 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