aristocracy English · revision 802

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /ˌæɹ.ɪˈstɒk.ɹə.si/ ''(UK)''; /ˌɛɹ.ɪˈstɑ.kɹə.si/ ''(US)''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|frm|aristocratie]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(Hoad 1986) [[der|la-lat|aristocratia|t=government by the best]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate) [[der|grc|ἀριστοκρατία|tr=aristokratía|t=rule of the best]],^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(Hoad 1986) [[af|grc|ἄριστος|κράτος|tr1=áristos|tr2=krátos|t1=best|t2=power, rule]] (see [[-cracy]]).^(AHD)^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(MW Collegiate)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The government of a state by its best citizens (1531 in the OED; 1561 in Barnhart and Merriam-Webster).^(OED 1989)^(Barnhart 1995)^(MW Collegiate)^(Etymonline)^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In early use the word was contrasted with ''monarchy''; after the French and American revolutions, with ''democracy''.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989) The sense “rule by a privileged class distinguished by birth or wealth” appears in the 1570s and became the main one in the 17th century.^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)^(Cresswell 2021) From this came “the class of hereditary nobles” (1610s in Etymonline; 1651 in the OED), regardless of the form of government,^(Etymonline)^(OED 1989)^(Cresswell 2021) and from the 1650s any group considered superior to others.^(Etymonline)^(AHD) ''Aristocrat'' (1789) came from French ''aristocrate'', popularized during the French Revolution.^(Barnhart 1995)^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1531 – government by the best citizens.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1577 – government by a privileged class.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1611 – a ruling body of nobles.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1651 – the nobility as a class.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1789 – ''aristocrat''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A hereditary ruling class; the [[nobility]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Government by a ruling class or by a small privileged group, or a state so governed.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Government by those considered best qualified to lead, or a state with such a government.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(RHWU)

+ # A group or class considered superior to others, as through education, wealth or ability.^(AHD)^(RHWU)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[antiaristocracy]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[aristocrat]]

+ * [[aristocratic]]

+ * [[democracy]]

+ * [[autocracy]]

+ * [[plutocracy]]

+ * [[oligarchy]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}