Definitions for Aristocracy
ˌær əˈstɒk rə siaris·toc·ra·cy

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. nobility, aristocracynoun

   a privileged class holding hereditary titles

2. gentry, aristocracynoun

   the most powerful members of a society

WiktionaryRate this definition:2.0 / 1 vote

1. aristocracynoun

   The nobility, or the hereditary ruling class

2. aristocracynoun

   Government by such a class, or a state with such a government

3. aristocracynoun

   A class of people considered (not normally universally) superior to others

4. Etymology: From aristocracie, from *, from άριστοκρατία, from aristos + -kratia, from kratein

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. ARISTOCRACYnoun

   That form of government which places the supreme power in the nobles, without a king, and exclusively of the people.

   Etymology: ἄϱιστος, greatest, and ϰϱατέω, to govern.

   The aristocracy of Venice hath admitted so many abuses through the degeneracy of the nobles, that the period of its duration seems to approach. Jonathan Swift.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Aristocracy

   Aristocracy (from Ancient Greek ἀριστοκρατίᾱ (aristokratíā), from ἄριστος (áristos) 'best', and κράτος (krátos) 'power, strength') is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the Greek: αριστοκρατία (aristokratíā), meaning 'rule of the best'.At the time of the word's origins in ancient Greece, the Greeks conceived it as rule by the best-qualified citizens—and often contrasted it favorably with monarchy, rule by an individual. The term was first used by such ancient Greeks as Aristotle and Plato, who used it to describe a system where only the best of the citizens, chosen through a careful process of selection, would become rulers, and hereditary rule would actually have been forbidden, unless the rulers' children performed best and were better endowed with the attributes that make a person fit to rule compared with every other citizen in the polity. Hereditary rule in this understanding is more related to oligarchy, a corrupted form of aristocracy where there is rule by a few, but not by the best. Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Xenophon, and the Spartans considered aristocracy (the ideal form of rule by the few) to be inherently better than the ideal form of rule by the many (democracy), but they also considered the corrupted form of aristocracy (oligarchy) to be worse than the corrupted form of democracy (mob rule). This belief was rooted in the assumption that the masses could only produce average policy, while the best of men could produce the best policy, if they were indeed the best of men. Later Polybius in his analysis of the Roman Constitution used the concept of aristocracy to describe his conception of a republic as a mixed form of government, along with democracy and monarchy in their conception from then, as a system of checks and balances, where each element checks the excesses of the other. In practice, aristocracy often leads to hereditary government, after which the hereditary monarch appoints officers as they see fit.In modern times, aristocracy was usually seen as rule by a privileged group, the aristocratic class, and has since been contrasted with democracy.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. aristocracy

   Aristocracy is a form of government or social system in which power or authority is vested in a small group of individuals distinguished by their exceptional education, wealth, heritage, or special abilities. These individuals, known as aristocrats, typically belong to the highest social class in societies that traditionally rank people by social or economic status. Aristocracy can also refer to the group of people considered to be superior or privileged in a particular field or society.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:1.5 / 2 votes

1. Aristocracynoun

   government by the best citizens

2. Aristocracynoun

   a ruling body composed of the best citizens

3. Aristocracynoun

   a form a government, in which the supreme power is vested in the principal persons of a state, or in a privileged order; an oligarchy

4. Aristocracynoun

   the nobles or chief persons in a state; a privileged class or patrician order; (in a popular use) those who are regarded as superior to the rest of the community, as in rank, fortune, or intellect

5. Etymology: [Gr. ; best + to be strong, to rule, strength; is perh. from the same root as E. arm, and orig. meant fitting: cf. F. aristocratie. See Arm, and Create, which is related to Gr. .]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Aristocracy

   Aristocracy is a form of government in which power is in the hands of a small, privileged, ruling class. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning "rule of the best". At the time of the word's origins in Ancient Greece, it was conceived as rule by the best qualified citizens and was often contrasted favourably with monarchy, the rule of a single individual. In later times, aristocracy was usually seen as rule by a privileged group, the aristocratic class, and was contrasted with democracy.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Aristocracy

   ar-is-tok′ras-i, n. government by the men of best birth or condition: political power of a privileged order: the nobility or chief persons of a state: the upper classes generally, also the persons noted for superiority in any quality, taken collectively—also Aristarch′y (rare).—n. Aristocrat (ar′is-to-krat, or ar-is′-), one who belongs to or favours an aristocracy: a haughty person.—adjs. Aristocrat′ic, -al, belonging to aristocracy: gentlemanly, stylish.—adv. Aristocrat′ically.—n. Aristocrat′ism. [Gr. aristos, best, and kratos, power.]

Matched Categories

1. • Elite

How to pronounce Aristocracy?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

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   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

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   Zira

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   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

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   Fred

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   Tessa

   South African

How to say Aristocracy in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Aristocracy in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Aristocracy in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of Aristocracy in a Sentence

1. Richard Neal:

   The principle here is not to create a permanent aristocracy.

2. Thomas Jefferson:

   There is a natural aristocracy among men. The grounds of this are virtue and talents.

3. Frank Herbert, Dune:

   All governments eventually lean further and further towards aristocracy.

4. Anthony Carnevale:

   From an equity perspective, this is just the tip of the iceberg, this system is, in many respects, an aristocracy posing as a meritocracy.

5. Myron Ebell:

   This gang is the climate aristocracy, you might call them.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=Aristocracy
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Aristocracy
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=Aristocracy
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristocracy
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Aristocracy
7. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=Aristocracy
8. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=Aristocracy