aristocracy

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ar=is=toc=ra=cy

CIDE DICTIONARY

aristocracy, n. [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. .].

•  Government by the best citizens.  [1913 Webster]
•  A ruling body composed of the best citizens.  [1913 Webster]

  "In the Senate
  Right not our quest in this, I will protest them
  To all the world, no aristocracy."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

  "The aristocracy of Venice hath admitted so many abuses, trough the degeneracy of the nobles, that the period of its duration seems approach."  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

aristocracy, n. (pl. -ies)
1 a the highest class in society; the nobility. b the nobility as a ruling class.
2 a government by the nobility or a privileged group. b a State governed in this way.
3 (often foll. by of) the best representatives or upper echelons (aristocracy of intellect; aristocracy of labour).

Etymology

F aristocratie f. Gk aristokratia f. aristos best + kratia (as -CRACY)

DEVIL DICTIONARY

aristocracy

n. Government by the best men. (In this sense the word is obsolete; so is that kind of government.) Fellows that wear downy hats and clean shirts -- guilty of education and suspected of bank accounts.

THESAURUS

aristocracy

FFVs, absolute monarchy, aedileship, ancestry, ancienne noblesse, archbishopric, archiepiscopacy, archiepiscopate, aristocraticalness, autarchy, autocracy, autonomy, baronage, baronetage, barons, beau monde, birth, bishopric, blood, blue blood, bon ton, carriage trade, chairmanship, chancellery, chancellorate, chancellorship, chiefery, chiefry, chieftaincy, chieftainry, chieftainship, chivalry, coalition government, colonialism, commonwealth, constitutional government, constitutional monarchy, consulate, consulship, county, cream, deanery, democracy, dictatorship, dictature, directorship, distinction, dominion rule, duarchy, duumvirate, dyarchy, elect, elite, emirate, episcopacy, establishment, federal government, federation, feudal system, flower, garrison state, genteelness, gentility, gentry, gerontocracy, governorship, haut monde, headship, hegemony, heteronomy, hierarchy, hierocracy, high life, high society, home rule, honorable descent, jet set, knightage, leadership, limited monarchy, lords of creation, lordship, magistracy, magistrateship, magistrature, martial law, masterdom, mastership, mastery, mayoralty, mayorship, meritocracy, metropolitanate, metropolitanship, militarism, military government, mob rule, mobocracy, monarchy, neocolonialism, nobility, noble birth, nobleness, noblesse, noblesse de robe, ochlocracy, old nobility, oligarchy, overlapping, pantisocracy, papacy, pashadom, pashalic, patriarchate, patriarchy, patricians, patriciate, peerage, police state, pontificality, pontificate, popedom, popehood, popeship, power elite, power structure, prefectship, prefecture, premiership, presidency, presidentship, prime-ministership, prime-ministry, princedom, princeship, principality, proconsulate, proconsulship, protectorate, protectorship, provostry, provostship, pure democracy, quality, rank, rectorate, rectorship, regency, regentship, representative democracy, representative government, republic, royalty, ruling circles, ruling class, seigniory, self-determination, self-government, seneschalship, seneschalsy, sheikhdom, sheriffalty, sheriffcy, sheriffdom, shrievalty, smart set, social democracy, society, stratocracy, supervisorship, suzerainship, suzerainty, technocracy, the Four Hundred, the best, the best people, the brass, the classes, thearchy, theocracy, top people, totalitarian government, totalitarian regime, triarchy, tribunate, triumvirate, tyranny, upper class, upper classes, upper crust, upper ten, upper ten thousand, uppercut, vizierate, viziership, welfare state

ROGET THESAURUS

aristocracy

Government

N government, legal authority, soveriegn, sovereign authority, authority, master, direction, national government, nation, state, country, nation- state, dominion, republic, empire, union, democratic republic, kingdom, principality, state government, state, shire, province, county, canton, territory, duchy, archduchy, archdukedom, woiwodshaft, commonwealth, region, property, county, parish city, domain, tract, arrondissement, mofussil, commune, wappentake, hundred, riding, lathe, garth, soke, tithing, ward, precinct, bailiwick, command, empire, sway, rule, dominion, domination, sovereignty, supremacy, suzerainty, lordship, headship, chiefdom, seigniory, seigniority, rule, sway, command, control, administer, govern, lead, preside over, reign, possess the throne, be seated on the throne, occupy the throne, sway the scepter, wield the scepter, wear the crown, state, realm, body politic, posse comitatus, judicature, cabinet, seat of government, seat of authority, headquarters, accession, installation, politics, reign, regime, dynasty, directorship, dictatorship, protectorate, protectorship, caliphate, pashalic, electorate, presidency, presidentship, administration, proconsul, consulship, prefecture, seneschalship, magistrature, magistracy, monarchy, kinghood, kingship, royalty, regality, aristarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, theocracy, demagogy, commonwealth, dominion, heteronomy, republic, republicanism, socialism, collectivism, mob law, mobocracy, ochlocracy, vox populi, imperium in imperio, bureaucracy, beadledom, bumbledom, stratocracy, military power, military government, junta, feodality, feudal system, feudalism, thearchy, theocracy, dinarchy, duarchy, triarchy, heterarchy, duumvirate, triumvirate, autocracy, autonomy, limited monarchy, constitutional government, constitutional monarchy, home rule, representative government, monocracy, pantisocracy, gynarchy, gynocracy, gynaeocracy, petticoat government, legislature, judiciary, administration, office of the president, office of the prime minister, cabinet, senate, house of representatives, parliament, council, courts, supreme court, state, interior, labor, health and human services, defense, education, agriculture, justice, commerce, treasury, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, National Institutes of Health, NIH, Postal Service, Post Office, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, president, vice president, cabinet member, prime minister, minister, senator, representatative, president pro tem, speaker of the house, department head, section head, section chief, federal judge, justice, justice of the supreme court, chief justice, treasurer, secretary of the treasury, director of the FBI, governor, state cabinet member, state senator, assemblyman, assemblywoman, regal, sovereign, governing, royal, royalist, monarchical, kingly, imperial, imperiatorial, princely, feudal, aristocratic, autocratic, oligarchic, republican, dynastic, ruling, regnant, gubernatorial, imperious, authoritative, executive, administrative, clothed with authority, official, departmental, ex officio, imperative, peremptory, overruling, absolute, hegemonic, hegemonical, authorized, government, public, national, federal, his majesty's, her majesty's, state, county, city, N, a dog's obeyed in office, cada uno tiene su alguazil, le Roi le veut, regibus esse manus en nescio longas, regnant populi, the demigod Authority, the right divine of kings to govern wrong, uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

Nobility

N nobility, rank, condition, distinction, optimacy, blood, pur sang, birth, high descent, order, quality, gentility, blue blood of Castile, ancien regime, high life, haute monde, upper classes, upper ten thousand, the four hundred, elite, aristocracy, great folks, fashionable world, peer, peerage, house of lords, house of peers, lords, lords temporal and spiritual, noblesse, noble, nobleman, lord, lordling, grandee, magnifico, hidalgo, daimio, daimyo, samurai, shizoku, don, donship, aristocrat, swell, three- tailed bashaw, gentleman, squire, squireen, patrician, laureate, gentry, gentlefolk, squirarchy, better sort magnates, primates, optimates, pantisocracy, king, atheling, prince, duke, marquis, marquisate, earl, viscount, baron, thane, banneret, baronet, baronetcy, knight, knighthood, count, armiger, laird, signior, seignior, esquire, boyar, margrave, vavasour, emir, ameer, scherif, sharif, effendi, wali, sahib, chevalier, maharaja, nawab, palsgrave, pasha, rajah, waldgrave, princess, begum, duchess, marchioness, countess, lady, dame, memsahib, Do$a, maharani, rani, personage of distinction, man of distinction, personage of rank, man of rank, personage of mark, man of mark, notables, notabilities, celebrity, bigwig, magnate, great man, star, superstar, big bug, big gun, great gun, gilded rooster, magni nominis umbra, every inch a king, noble, exalted, of rank, princely, titled, patrician, aristocratic, high-, well-born, of gentle blood, genteel, comme il faut, gentlemanlike, courtly, highly respectable, in high quarters, Adel sitzt im Gemuthe nicht im Gebluete, adelig und edel sind zweierlei, noblesse oblige.