Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A member of a ruling class or of the nobility.
  • noun A person having the tastes, manners, or other characteristics of the aristocracy.
  • noun A person who advocates government by an aristocracy.
  • noun One considered the best of its kind.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A member of the aristocracy or men of rank in a community; hence, a person having the traits supposed to be characteristic of an aristocracy: as, “a born aristocrat,” Mrs. Browning.
  • noun One who favors an aristocracy; one who is an advocate of an aristocratic form of government.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun One of the aristocracy or people of rank in a community; one of a ruling class; a noble.
  • noun One who is overbearing in his temper or habits; a proud or haughty person.
  • noun One who favors an aristocracy as a form of government, or believes the aristocracy should govern.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun One of the aristocracy, nobility, or people of rank in a community; one of a ruling class; a noble (originally in Revolutionary France).
  • noun A proponent of aristocracy; an advocate of aristocratic government.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a member of the aristocracy

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French aristocrate, from aristocratie, aristocracy, from Old French, from Late Latin aristocratia; see aristocracy.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French aristocrate (a word from the French Revolution), from aristocratie., from ἄριστος (aristos, "best") (compare Old English ar) + κράτος (kratos, "rule").

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Examples

  • Wouldn't Shakespeare, which brave defender of anointed majesty, have approved a dignified which any clever aristocrat is improved for a nation than any diseased one?

    Philadelphia Reflections: Shakspere Society of Philadelphia admin 2009

  • Wouldn't Shakespeare, which brave defender of anointed majesty, have approved a dignified which any clever aristocrat is improved for a nation than any diseased one?

    Archive 2009-11-01 admin 2009

  • Most of “Blood & Iron” is comprised of our team investigating a large mansion being bought by a man hoping to capitalize on its grim history involving a vain aristocrat who killed young women and bathed in their blood to make her younger.

    Current Movie Reviews, Independent Movies - Film Threat 2007

  • As another entitled aristocrat once said "let them eat cake."

    Ian Welsh: Senate Democrats Against The Public Option Aren't Caving -- They Just Don't Belive In Real Universal Healthcare 2009

  • For most of his career, Bronfman, who is married to a striking Latin American aristocrat, has endured withering criticism and was generally dismissed as a rich-kid dilettante.

    For Sale By Owner? 2008

  • An eccentric aristocrat is hoping to give away his 16-bedroom mansion to a complete stranger and then move into "the comfort" of a council house, it emerged today.

    Archive 2005-12-01 2005

  • An eccentric aristocrat is hoping to give away his 16-bedroom mansion to a complete stranger and then move into "the comfort" of a council house, it emerged today.

    Who Wants to Be a Miserable Aristocrat? 2005

  • In a Darkover novel by Marion Zimmer Bradley, I recall a scene where a spaceman from Earth is talking to an aristocrat from the pre-industrial native culture.

    INTERVIEW: John C. Wright 2004

  • Why is it that the word aristocrat as applied to a gentleman is as offensive as that of flunkey applied to a footman?

    Red Pottage 2004

  • The titled aristocrat pays dearer for his horse, dearer for his coat, dearer for his servant than other people.

    The American Senator 2004

Comments

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  • aristocRAT

    June 17, 2008