Dictionary

aristocracy en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌæɹ.ɪˈstɒk.ɹə.si/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˌɛɹ.ɪˈstɑ.kɹə.si/ (General-American)
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• (California, Southern) audio

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French aristocratie, from Medieval Latin aristocratia, from Ancient Greek ἀριστοκρατίᾱ (aristokratíā, “the rule of the best“, that is, “the best-born”, “nobility”), from ἄριστος (áristos, “best, noblest”) + -κρατίᾱ (-kratíā), from κράτος (krátos, “power, rule”). By surface analysis, aristo- + -cracy.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The nobility, or the hereditary ruling class.
   • But when Nietzsche has the incredible lack of humour and lack of imagination to ask us to believe that his aristocracy is an aristocracy of strong muscles or an aristocracy of strong wills, it is necessary to point out the truth. It is an aristocracy of weak nerves. 1905, G.K. Chesterton, Heretics:
   • That, then, which is called aristocracy in some countries and nobility in others arose out of the governments founded upon conquest. 1791, Thomas Paine, Rights of Man:
2. (countable, uncountable) Government by such a class, or a state with such a government.
   • How many false principles have been laid down, how much delusion supported, by reference to the glories of Athens and of Rome! It remained for a later time to observe that those so-called republics were but aristocracy in its most oppressive form; and what are now the people were then positive slaves;... 1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XXIII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 255:
3. (countable, uncountable) A class of people considered (not normally universally) superior to others.

Forms

Deriveds

black aristocracy · labour aristocracy · aristocracy of labor · labor aristocracy · codfish aristocracy · Afristocracy · aristocracy of labour · bunyip aristocracy · antiaristocracy

Relateds

aristocrat · aristocratic

Translations (162)

is úrvalsveldi (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · fr aristocratie (government by such a class) · io aristokratio (government by such a class) · ko 귀족 (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · bg аристокрация (government by such a class) · sh аристокрација (government by such a class) · pdt Odel (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · el αριστοκρατία (government by such a class) · fur aristocrazie (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · cmn 貴族政府 /贵族政府 (government by such a class) · af adel (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · is aðalsveldi (government by such a class) · it aristocrazia (class of people considered superior to others) · ro aristocrație (class of people considered superior to others) · vi chế độ quý tộc (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · da aristokrati (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · de Aristokratie (class of people considered superior to others) · da aristokrati (government by such a class) · lv aristokrātija (government by such a class) · oc aristocracia (government by such a class) · tr aristokrasi (class of people considered superior to others) · sv aristokrati (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · ru аристокра́тия (government by such a class) · ko 귀족정 (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · ca aristocràcia (government by such a class) · eo aristokrataro (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · sl aristokracija (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · io aristokratio (class of people considered superior to others) · sv aristokrati (government by such a class) · hu arisztokrácia (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · et aristokraatia (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · el αριστοκρατία (class of people considered superior to others) · da adel (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · ar أَرِسْتُقْرَاطِيَّة (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · sh аристократија (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · sk aristokracia (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · sh аристокрација (class of people considered superior to others) · sh аристокрација (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · hu arisztokrácia (class of people considered superior to others) · hy արիստոկրատիա (class of people considered superior to others) · uk аристокра́тія (class of people considered superior to others) · it aristocrazia (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · uk аристокра́тія (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · cs aristokracie (class of people considered superior to others) · lt aristokratija (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · fi aristokratia (government by such a class) · hy արիստոկրատիա (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · sl aristokracija (government by such a class) · ko 귀족정부 (government by such a class) · nl aristocratie (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · sh аристократија (class of people considered superior to others) · tr aristokrasi (government by such a class) · be арыстакра́тыя (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · is úrvalsveldi (government by such a class) · io aristokratio (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · nl aristocratie (class of people considered superior to others) · mk аристократија (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · be арыстакра́тыя (government by such a class) · fa آریستوکراسی (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · ka არისტოკრატია (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · mk аристократија (class of people considered superior to others) · lv aristokrātija (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · lt aristokratija (class of people considered superior to others) · he אריסטוקרטיה (government by such a class) · nb adel (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · sh aristokràtija (class of people considered superior to others) · tr aristokrasi (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · pl arystokracja (class of people considered superior to others) · ka არისტოკრატია (class of people considered superior to others) · ka არისტოკრატია (government by such a class) · pt aristocracia (government by such a class) · pl arystokracja (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · oc aristocracia (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · es aristocracia (government by such a class) · hy արիստոկրատիա (government by such a class) · sc aristocratzia (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · af adelstand (government by such a class) · eu aristokrazia (government by such a class) · fi aristokratia (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · ca aristocràcia (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · ru аристокра́тия (class of people considered superior to others) · sl aristokracija (class of people considered superior to others) · el αριστοκρατία (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · gl aristocracia (government by such a class) · sk aristokracia (class of people considered superior to others) · ja 貴族政治 (government by such a class) · nl aristocratie (government by such a class) · et aristokraatia (class of people considered superior to others) · af adel (government by such a class) · sq aristokraci (government by such a class) · sh aristokràcija (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · sq aristokraci (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · sv adel (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · sh aristokràcija (class of people considered superior to others) · nn aristokrati (class of people considered superior to others) · ro aristocrație (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · cmn 貴族 /贵族 (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · mk аристократија (government by such a class) · sq aristokraci (class of people considered superior to others) · nn aristokrati (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · ru знать (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · eu aristokrazia (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · pt aristocracia (class of people considered superior to others) · sh аристократија (government by such a class) · es aristocracia (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · hu arisztokrácia (government by such a class) · th อภิชน (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · fr aristocratie (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · ru аристокра́тия (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · da aristokrati (class of people considered superior to others) · gl aristocracia (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · be арыстакра́тыя (class of people considered superior to others) · et aristokraatia (government by such a class) · eo aristokratio (government by such a class) · nb aristokrati (government by such a class) · sk aristokracia (government by such a class) · ja 特権階級 (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · eo aristokrataro (class of people considered superior to others) · sh aristokràcija (government by such a class) · sh aristokràtija (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · de Aristokratie (government by such a class) · pl arystokracja (government by such a class) · bg аристокрация (class of people considered superior to others) · nb aristokrati (class of people considered superior to others) · nl adel (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · mi kāhui ariki (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · fr aristocratie (class of people considered superior to others) · eu aristokrazia (class of people considered superior to others) · th อภิชน (class of people considered superior to others) · pt aristocracia (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · he אריסטוקרטיה (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · lt aristokratija (government by such a class) · bg аристокрация (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · kk ақсүйектік (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · ca aristocràcia (class of people considered superior to others) · is aðalsveldi (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · ast aristocracia (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · nn aristokrati (government by such a class) · ro aristocrație (government by such a class) · mi te aitanga a Tiki (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · lv aristokrātija (class of people considered superior to others) · sh aristokràtija (government by such a class) · ast aristocracia (government by such a class) · cs aristokracie (government by such a class) · fi aristokratia (class of people considered superior to others) · id aristokrasi (government by such a class) · es aristocracia (class of people considered superior to others) · de Aristokratie (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · nn adel (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · co aristucrazia (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · cs aristokracie (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · sv aristokrati (class of people considered superior to others) · ja 貴族 (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · tl butikasan (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · uk аристокра́тія (government by such a class) · gl aristocracia (class of people considered superior to others) · nb aristokrati (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · ang æþelu (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · id aristokrat (the nobility or the hereditary ruling class) · th อภิชนาธิปไตย (government by such a class) · ru знать (class of people considered superior to others) · it aristocrazia (government by such a class)