Idiom
the quality
Meaning
The upper class, the high society, the gentry; the people of quality.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“They act like they belong to the quality.”
“The local innkeeper was surprised to see members of the quality dining in his humble tavern.”
“The grand ballroom was filled with the quality, all dressed in their finest silks and jewels for the annual winter gala.”
Examples
simple
“They act like they belong to the quality.”
contextual
“The local innkeeper was surprised to see members of the quality dining in his humble tavern.”
complex
“The grand ballroom was filled with the quality, all dressed in their finest silks and jewels for the annual winter gala.”
Origin
From the noun *quality*, used in the sense of high social position or nobility. The term emerged from the practice of referring to the landed gentry and those of superior rank as "people of quality" or "the quality."
Key words
Related idioms
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