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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.

Examples of aristocrat in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web Doyle is no aristocrat, but the son of a vacuum-cleaner salesman. — Edward Chisholm, WSJ, 20 May 2022 For all the dash, swagger, and mien-oozing entitlement in The Blue Boy, the subject isn’t an aristocrat. — Brian T. Allen, National Review, 17 Feb. 2022 Alfred Hitchcock's lone entry on this list is a fitting psychological head trip, with Joan Fontaine playing the new wife of an aristocrat (Laurence Olivier) who can't escape the seemingly constant presence of his dead wife. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 24 Mar. 2022 The swashbuckling series is loosely based on the real-life adventures of Stede Bonnet (played by Flight of the Conchords' Rhys Darby), an 18th-century aristocrat who abandoned his privileged upbringing to seek adventure on the high seas. — Devan Coggan, EW.com, 25 Mar. 2022 His father was a farmer on the estate of a local aristocrat, and his mother was a homemaker. — Washington Post, 21 Nov. 2021 This series—loosely based on a true story—follows an aristocrat (Rhys Darby of Flight of the Conchords fame) who abandons his comfortable life to become a pirate. — Evan Romano, Men's Health, 28 Jan. 2022 The Baroque Hôtel d’Ecquevilly, built in 1638 as a private residence for a Parisian aristocrat, was later the home of Louis XV’s master of the hunt, who commissioned the elaborate bas-reliefs of boars and dogs that still ornament its exterior. — New York Times, 7 Sep. 2021 And still, every local rogue declares him as an out-of-touch aristocrat. — Darren Franich, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aristocrat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.