ENGLISH
REFERENCE

aristocratic

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ɝˌɪstəˈkɹætɪk// UK //ˌæɹɪstəkɹˈætɪk// aris·to·crat·ic

adj. belonging to the highest social class, often with a title like 'Duke' or 'Baron'. It describes people who have a lot of money and power because of their family history.

adj. relating to or characteristic of the highest social class, typically holding hereditary titles and privileges. Often describes a refined or superior manner associated with such a class.


SIMPLE

He comes from an old aristocratic family.

CONTEXTUAL

The grand mansion was filled with aristocratic portraits of ancestors dating back to the seventeenth century.

COMPLEX

Despite the country's shift toward democracy, certain aristocratic traditions remained deeply embedded in the social rituals of the capital's elite.

Synonyms
Origin

From French aristocratique, from Ancient Greek ἀριστοκρατικός (aristokratikós). By surface analysis, aristo- + -cratic.

Usage

Typically used attributively before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'look' or 'seem'.

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