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Aristocracy
Definitions
- 1 The nobility, or the hereditary ruling class. countable, uncountable
"But when Nietzsche has the incredible lack of humour and lack of imagination to ask us to believe that his aristocracy is an aristocracy of strong muscles or an aristocracy of strong wills, it is necessary to point out the truth. It is an aristocracy of weak nerves."
- 2 the most powerful members of a society wordnet
- 3 Government by such a class, or a state with such a government. countable, uncountable
"How many false principles have been laid down, how much delusion supported, by reference to the glories of Athens and of Rome! It remained for a later time to observe that those so-called republics were but aristocracy in its most oppressive form; and what are now the people were then positive slaves;..."
- 4 a privileged class holding hereditary titles wordnet
- 5 A class of people considered (not normally universally) superior to others. countable, uncountable
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French aristocratie, from Medieval Latin aristocratia, from Ancient Greek ἀριστοκρατίᾱ (aristokratíā, “the rule of the best“, that is, “the best-born”, “nobility”), from ἄριστος (áristos, “best, noblest”) + -κρατίᾱ (-kratíā), from κράτος (krátos, “power, rule”). By surface analysis, aristo- + -cracy.
See also for "aristocracy"
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