Meanings
nounaristocracy (countable and uncountable, plural aristocracies)
plural aristocracies
- countableuncountableThe nobility, or the hereditary ruling class.
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 Man1 more example
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 - countableuncountableGovernment by such a class, or a state with such a government.
1 more example
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 - countableuncountableA class of people considered (not normally universally) superior to others.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἀριστοκρατίᾱ“the rule of the best“, that is, “the best-born”, “nobility”
- Medieval Latinaristocratia
- Middle Frencharistocratie
- Englisharistocracy
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.
More words from Middle French, Medieval Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans adel, adel
- adelthe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- adelgovernment by such a class
- adelstandgovernment by such a class
Arabic أَرِسْتُقْرَاطِيَّة
- أَرِسْتُقْرَاطِيَّة (ʔaristuqrāṭiyya)the nobility or the hereditary ruling class
Basque aristokrazia, aristokrazia
- aristokraziathe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristokraziagovernment by such a class
- aristokraziaclass of people considered superior to others
Bulgarian аристокрация, аристокрация
- аристокрация (aristokracija)the nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- аристокрация (aristokracija)government by such a class
- аристокрация (aristokracija)class of people considered superior to others
Catalan aristocràcia, aristocràcia
- aristocràciathe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristocràciagovernment by such a class
- aristocràciaclass of people considered superior to others
Chinese Mandarin 貴族 /贵族, 貴族政府 /贵族政府
- 貴族 /贵族 (guìzú)the nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- 貴族政府 /贵族政府 (guìzú zhèngfǔ)government by such a class
Czech aristokracie, aristokracie
- aristokraciethe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristokraciegovernment by such a class
- aristokracieclass of people considered superior to others
Danish aristokrati, adel
- aristokratithe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- adelthe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristokratigovernment by such a class
- aristokraticlass of people considered superior to others
Dutch aristocratie, adel
- aristocratiethe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- adelthe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristocratiegovernment by such a class
- aristocratieclass of people considered superior to others
Esperanto aristokrataro, aristokratio
- aristokratarothe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristokratiogovernment by such a class
- aristokrataroclass of people considered superior to others
Estonian aristokraatia, aristokraatia
- aristokraatiathe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristokraatiagovernment by such a class
- aristokraatiaclass of people considered superior to others
Finnish aristokratia, aristokratia
- aristokratiathe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristokratiagovernment by such a class
- aristokratiaclass of people considered superior to others
French aristocratie, aristocratie
- aristocratiethe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristocratiegovernment by such a class
- aristocratieclass of people considered superior to others
German Aristokratie, Aristokratie
- Aristokratiethe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- Aristokratiegovernment by such a class
- Aristokratieclass of people considered superior to others
Greek αριστοκρατία, αριστοκρατία
- αριστοκρατία (aristokratía)the nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- αριστοκρατία (aristokratía)government by such a class
- αριστοκρατία (aristokratía)class of people considered superior to others
Hebrew אריסטוקרטיה, אריסטוקרטיה
- אריסטוקרטיה (aristokrátya)the nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- אריסטוקרטיה (aristokrátya)government by such a class
Hungarian arisztokrácia, arisztokrácia
- arisztokráciathe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- arisztokráciagovernment by such a class
- arisztokráciaclass of people considered superior to others
Icelandic aðalsveldi, úrvalsveldi
- aðalsveldithe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- úrvalsveldithe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aðalsveldigovernment by such a class
- úrvalsveldigovernment by such a class
Indonesian aristokrat, aristokrasi
- aristokratthe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristokrasigovernment by such a class
Italian aristocrazia, aristocrazia
- aristocraziathe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristocraziagovernment by such a class
- aristocraziaclass of people considered superior to others
Japanese 貴族, 特権階級
- 貴族 (kizoku)the nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- 特権階級 (tokken kaikyū)the nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- 貴族政治 (kizoku seiji)government by such a class
Korean 귀족정, 귀족
- 귀족정 (gwijokjeong)the nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- 귀족 (gwijok)the nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- 귀족정부 (gwijokjeongbu)government by such a class
Latvian aristokrātija, aristokrātija
- aristokrātijathe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristokrātijagovernment by such a class
- aristokrātijaclass of people considered superior to others
Lithuanian aristokratija, aristokratija
- aristokratijathe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristokratijagovernment by such a class
- aristokratijaclass of people considered superior to others
Māori kāhui ariki, te aitanga a Tiki
- kāhui arikithe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- te aitanga a Tikithe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
Norwegian Bokmål aristokrati, adel
- aristokratithe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- adelthe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristokratigovernment by such a class
- aristokraticlass of people considered superior to others
Persian آریستوکراسی
- آریستوکراسی (âristokerâsi)the nobility or the hereditary ruling class
Polish arystokracja, arystokracja
- arystokracjathe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- arystokracjagovernment by such a class
- arystokracjaclass of people considered superior to others
Portuguese aristocracia, aristocracia
- aristocraciathe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristocraciagovernment by such a class
- aristocraciaclass of people considered superior to others
Romanian aristocrație, aristocrație
- aristocrațiethe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristocrațiegovernment by such a class
- aristocrațieclass of people considered superior to others
Russian аристокра́тия, знать
- аристокра́тия (aristokrátija)the nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- знать (znatʹ)the nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- аристокра́тия (aristokrátija)government by such a class
- аристокра́тия (aristokrátija)class of people considered superior to others
- знать (znatʹ)class of people considered superior to others
Slovak aristokracia, aristokracia
- aristokraciathe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristokraciagovernment by such a class
- aristokraciaclass of people considered superior to others
Spanish aristocracia, aristocracia
- aristocraciathe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristocraciagovernment by such a class
- aristocraciaclass of people considered superior to others
Swedish aristokrati, adel
- aristokratithe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- adelthe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristokratigovernment by such a class
- aristokraticlass of people considered superior to others
Tagalog butikasan
- butikasanthe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
Thai อภิชน, อภิชนาธิปไตย
- อภิชน (aphichon)the nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- อภิชนาธิปไตย (à-pí-chá-naa-tí-bpà-dtai)government by such a class
- อภิชน (aphichon)class of people considered superior to others
Turkish aristokrasi, aristokrasi
- aristokrasithe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- aristokrasigovernment by such a class
- aristokrasiclass of people considered superior to others
Ukrainian аристокра́тія, аристокра́тія
- аристокра́тія (arystokrátija)the nobility or the hereditary ruling class
- аристокра́тія (arystokrátija)government by such a class
- аристокра́тія (arystokrátija)class of people considered superior to others
Vietnamese chế độ quý tộc
- chế độ quý tộcthe nobility or the hereditary ruling class
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with aristocracy
democracyautocracyadhocracyalbocracyalgocracyAmericanocracyandrocracyargentocracyarithmocracyatheocracyboobocracychirocracychrysocracyclericocracyclerocracycorpocracycorporatocracycorruptocracycosmocracycottonocracycritocracycryptocracycyberocracyczarocracy
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
aristocracy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aristocracy
MLA
“aristocracy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aristocracy. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “aristocracy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/aristocracy.
Source: aristocracy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.