noun. A hereditary ruling class; nobility.

noun. undefined

noun. Government by a ruling class.

noun. A state or country having this form of government.

noun. undefined

noun. Government by the citizens deemed to be best qualified to lead.

noun. A state having such a government.

noun. A group or class considered superior to others.

noun. Government by the best men in the state; a governing body composed of the best men in the state.

noun. A form of government in which the supreme power is exercised by those members of the state who are distinguished by their rank and opulence.

noun. A body of persons holding exceptional prescriptive rank or privileges; specifically, a class of hereditary nobility; the nobles of a country and those nearly related to them.

noun. Persons noted for superiority in any character or quality, taken collectively: as, the aristocracy of wealth or of culture.

noun. Government by the best citizens.

noun. A ruling body composed of the best citizens.

noun. A form a government, in which the supreme power is vested in the principal persons of a state, or in a privileged order; an oligarchy.

noun. The nobles or chief persons in a state; a privileged class or patrician order; (in a popular use) those who are regarded as superior to the rest of the community, as in rank, fortune, or intellect.

noun. The nobility, or the hereditary ruling class

noun. Government by such a class, or a state with such a government

noun. A class of people considered (not normally universally) superior to others

noun. the most powerful members of a society

noun. a privileged class holding hereditary titles

"Let no one exclaim against aristocracy; were we all perfectly _equal to-day_, there would be an _aristocracy to-morrow_."

nobility  

bunyip aristocracy  

autocracy  bureaucracy  democracy  hypocrisy  theocracy  

aristocrat  bourgeoisie  caste  clergy  constitution  

FFVs  absolute monarchy  aedileship  ancestry  ancienne noblesse