aristocrat

noun

aris·​to·​crat ə-ˈri-stə-ˌkrat 

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 resorts

—Southern 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.

Synonyms

• noble

Examples of aristocrat in a Sentence

could trace his lineage to an English aristocrat of the 17th century

Recent Examples on the Web

The duplex sits atop Six Charles Street, the former London showroom of Josiah Wedgwood, the father of modern English pottery, who revolutionized ceramics in the 18th century with his innovative designs and royal commissions, turning his work into a global brand prized by queens and aristocrats. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 Aug. 2025

Would England’s aristocrats vote to cut the Premier League? —Matt Slater, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025

The wife [of an aristocrat] did have a much more interesting life than most wives. —Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 11 Aug. 2025

The other version of Nautilus is an episodic adventure series in which the crew encounters sea creatures, weird communities, and villainous aristocrats, and that’s actually a really good time! —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

see aristocracy

First Known Use

1786, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for aristocrat

• magnificat
• acrobat
• autocrat
• automat
• bundesrat
• bureaucrat
• butterfat
• caveat
• chemostat
• copycat
• cryostat
• democrat

Kids Definition

aristocrat

noun

aris·​to·​crat ə-ˈris-tə-ˌkrat 

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