ARISTOCRACY Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

aristocracy

noun

ˌa-rə-ˈstä-krə-sē

Definition of aristocracy

as in nobility

the highest class in a society at one time in China only the aristocracy could own land

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in elite

individuals carefully selected as being the best of a class membership in the society is reserved for the literary world's aristocracy

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of aristocracy My grandmother was from Mexican aristocracy, and her passion drove her to ditch her fiancé at the altar to marry my gringo grandad across the border. — Griffin Dunne, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 2026 After this, there will be a lot of going back and forth across the Channel; crimes of the aristocracy; Darnay’s own Big Secret revealed; more trials, more imprisonments. — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026 The latter category, anticipating biomimicry, is well represented by the automata that captivated the aristocracy in the following century. — Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 At last, Jones also thought, there was a chance to spotlight the dynamic between North Wales‘ working-class community and its aristocracy on the big screen, a corner of Britain’s social history that has long been sidelined. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for aristocracy

Recent Examples of Synonyms for aristocracy

Noun

Legal recognition of the country’s nobility stopped in 1946 and for aristocrats such as Princess Giacinta Ruspoli, upkeep of the family’s ancestral homes doesn’t come cheap.

— Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
Thomas Jefferson is believed to have loved these wines and today they are enjoyed by Italian nobility and discerning wine lovers the world over.

— Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of nobility

Noun

Reynolds transformed a young Pacific Islander into a monumental figure of European portraiture, giving Mai the grandeur and authority normally reserved for the elite.

— Saar Shahar, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026
Their mobilization since then has mirrored a wider wave of youth protests in other countries, particularly in South Asia, where Gen Z demonstrators have challenged political elites.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of elite

Noun

When it was closed down in 1539, its treasures, books and relics were seized and its lands and buildings sold off, some to local nobles and gentry, some to the town authorities of Bury.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
Parker will play Mary Washington, George’s strong willed mother, while Rodgers will play Sally Cary, the charming beauty of the Virginia gentry who first sees his potential.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025

Definition of gentry

Noun

Such acts undermine Israel's security, its regional and international standing, and the moral fabric of our society.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026
By the 1980s, England was beginning its turn away from churchgoing as a cornerstone of society, so nothing as extroverted or nakedly clerical as gospel choirs would fit a downcast, monochromatic land anyhow.

— Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of society

Noun

Rooney had pledged to donate royalties from her bestselling novels, which include ‘Intermezzo’ and ‘Normal People,’ to Palestine Action, a group banned as a terrorist organization by the British government.

— Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Harry and Meghan appear more interested in faking the image of royalty than embracing its purpose.

— Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of royalty

Noun

The first meeting was in November of last year at the White House, when Mamdani was mayor elect, and the second was in February, also at the White House.

— Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
The governor-elect faced a fight over removing Nick Balletto, who had initially been dismissive of Lamont as a candidate, as the Democratic state chair.

— Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of elect

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aristocracies

aristocracy

aristocrat

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“Aristocracy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/aristocracy. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of aristocracy

noun

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