Noun: aristocracy ,er-i'stó-kru-see [N. Amer], ,a-ri'stó-kru-see [Brit]
- A privileged class holding hereditary titles
"The French Revolution challenged the power of the aristocracy";
- nobility
- The most powerful members of a society
"The local aristocracy attended the annual hunt ball";
- gentry
- Government by an aristocratic class; a state with such a government
"Venice was an aristocracy for most of its history"
Derived forms: aristocracies
Type of: elite, élite [Brit], elite group, upper class, upper crust
Encyclopedia: Aristocracy