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
Synonyms
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
As Agnes van Rhijn in The Gilded Age, Christine Baranski embodies a New York matriarch bound by stringent class division and societal contest—something the show’s creator Julian Fellowes so famously explored within the British aristocracy in Downton Abbey.
—
Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2024
Chloe Braithwaite is an Australian writer and editor based in Nice.
July 25, 2024
A weekend in Nice, the French Riviera’s unofficial capital and a magnet for European aristocracy since Queen Victoria’s reign, could happily be spent simply enjoying its world-famous beach and promenade.
—Chloé Braithwaite, New York Times, 25 July 2024
The themes of the movie — working women, the elitism of the art world, a boss who is a perfectionist micromanager, the gap between Ana and British aristocracy — aren’t really explored or exposed.
—Nicole Froio, refinery29.com, 11 Feb. 2024
For centuries, the aristocracy have held court at the Palace of Westminster.
—Brad Japhe, TIME, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for aristocracy 
Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2024
Chloe Braithwaite is an Australian writer and editor based in Nice.
July 25, 2024
A weekend in Nice, the French Riviera’s unofficial capital and a magnet for European aristocracy since Queen Victoria’s reign, could happily be spent simply enjoying its world-famous beach and promenade.
—Chloé Braithwaite, New York Times, 25 July 2024
The themes of the movie — working women, the elitism of the art world, a boss who is a perfectionist micromanager, the gap between Ana and British aristocracy — aren’t really explored or exposed.
—Nicole Froio, refinery29.com, 11 Feb. 2024
For centuries, the aristocracy have held court at the Palace of Westminster.
—Brad Japhe, TIME, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for aristocracy
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aristocracy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near aristocracy
Cite this Entry
“Aristocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aristocracy. Accessed 24 Aug. 2024.
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
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