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

Ablin focuses on dividend growers, albeit with a shorter track record than dividend aristocrats, that are also high-quality companies. —Michelle Fox, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025

In yet another sweeping tale of two opposites finding common ground (and a lot of chemistry), Robert Redford starred as a hunter opposite Meryl Streep's aristocrat in what is now Kenya in the 1930s. —Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 16 Sep. 2025

But soon Islamic scholars became recognized as the second-highest status group, ranking below aristocrats but above the merely wealthy. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 14 Sep. 2025

The reintroduction of Lady Mary Talbot, formerly Crawley (Michelle Dockery), features the aristocrat in a striking, red sleeveless gown, inspired by designs from the 1930s and infused with certain contemporary elements. —Julia Teti, Footwear News, 12 Sep. 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