aristocracy

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The highest social class, usually with inherited titles and wealth.

   He was born into the English aristocracy.

2. 2
   noun

   Government by a small privileged ruling class.

   Ancient Athens was in many ways an aristocracy rather than a true democracy.

Simplified etymology

Aristocracy came through Old French aristocratie from Greek aristokratia, formed from aristos “best” and -kratia “power.” It originally denoted government by a state’s best citizens, then government by the rich and well-born, and by the mid-17th century could mean the nobility itself.

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.

Topics

External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary