aristocrat

noun

aris·​to·​crat ə-ˈri-stə-ˌkrat How to pronounce aristocrat (audio)
a-;
ˈa-rə-stə-
1
: a member of an aristocracy
especially : noble
an aristocrat by birth
2
a
: one who has the bearing and viewpoint typical of the aristocracy
b
: one who favors aristocracy
3
: one believed to be superior of its kind
the aristocrat of Southern resortsSouthern Living

Did you know?

Since aristos means "best" in Greek, ancient Greeks such as Plato and Aristotle used the word aristocracy to mean a system of rule by the best people—that is, those who deserved to rule because of their intelligence and moral excellence. But this kind of "best" soon became something you could inherit from your parents. The United States has no formal aristocracy—no noble titles such as baron or marquis that stay in the family—but certain American families have achieved an almost aristocratic status because of the wealth they've held onto for generations.

Examples of aristocrat in a Sentence

could trace his lineage to an English aristocrat of the 17th century
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Chaney plays Larry Talbot in The Wolf Man, a Welsh aristocrat who is cursed to become a werewolf when he’s bitten by Bela the gypsy (Bela Lugosi) during his transformation into the beast during the full moon. Tim Lammers, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025 In the Paramount+ series, McGregor plays Russian aristocrat Alexander Rostov, who avoids being put to death as he is placed on house arrest during the Bolshevik Revolution. Esther Kang, People.com, 6 Jan. 2025 While early imperial aristocrats saw provincials as subject nations with their own cultures, their working-class replacements considered Romans a single people and expected all to share the same values. Jeffrey E. Schulman / Made By History, TIME, 20 Dec. 2024 But negotiations over the future of the city in 1919 were interrupted when on Sept. 12 a force of Italian nationalists led by Italian poet, aristocrat, and army officer Gabriele D’Annunzio ended up occupying it for 16 months. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for aristocrat 

Word History

Etymology

see aristocracy

First Known Use

1786, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of aristocrat was in 1786

Dictionary Entries Near aristocrat

Cite this Entry

“Aristocrat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aristocrat. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

aristocrat

noun
aris·​to·​crat ə-ˈris-tə-ˌkrat How to pronounce aristocrat (audio)
a-;
ˈar-ə-stə-
1
: a member of an aristocracy
2
: a person who has habits and ideas like those of the aristocracy
aristocratic
ə-ˌris-tə-ˈkrat-ik
a-ˌris-tə-
ˌar-ə-stə-
adjective
aristocratically
-i-k(ə-)lē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on aristocrat

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!