Aristocracy is a class of people holding exceptional political, social, or hereditary privilege within a society. It denotes a ruling elite or nobility, traditionally distinct from commoners and often linked to inherited status. The term emphasizes governance by the few who are perceived as superior in lineage, wealth, or influence.
"The aristocracy in Britain historically wielded considerable political power and land ownership."
"In many novels, the aristocracy is portrayed as aloof from everyday concerns of ordinary citizens."
"She was born into the aristocracy and carried themselves with a poised, formal demeanor."
"The new constitution aimed to curb the privileges of the aristocracy while preserving essential institutions."
Aristocracy comes from the Greek arche, meaning 'rule' or 'first', and kratia, meaning 'rule' or 'power'. The term entered English via Latin aristocratia and Greek aristokratia, literally 'rule of the best' (aristos = 'best', kratos = 'power'). In classical Greece, aristokratia described governance by a hereditary elite as opposed to kingship or oligarchy. In the Roman and later European context, aristocracy shifted to a more formalized class-based privilege tied to birth, landholding, and titles, evolving from a loose noble class to a codified structure of peerage and estates. By the 17th–18th centuries, Enlightenment critiques reframed aristocracy as a social class with hereditary power, but many constitutional monarchies retained aristocratic privileges alongside democratic reforms. The term has retained its social and political connotations, frequently used to describe elite ruling groups in historical and contemporary discourse.
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Words that rhyme with "Aristocracy"
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Pronunciation guide: /ˌærɪˈstɒkrəsi/ (US) or /ˌærɪˈstɒkrəsi/ (UK). Stress pattern is 2-3-4: 1st unstressed, 2nd syllable 'ar','is' together, primary stress on the third syllable 'tok' (/ˈstɒk/). Lip rounding is minor, jaw drops slightly on the /ɒ/ in 'stoc', and the final /-si/ is a soft 'see' with reduced vowel. Audio reference: try listening to credible pronunciation resources or dictionary entries for audio examples.
Common errors include stressing the wrong syllable (placing stress on the 'ar' or 'ar-is' instead of 'tok'), mispronouncing the /ɒ/ as /ɑː/ or /ɔː/, and overly enunciating the final /-krə-si/ leading to a clunky cadence. Correction tips: keep the primary stress on the /ˈstɒk/ syllable, use a short /ɒ/ as in 'ott', and reduce the final syllable to /si/ with a light /ɪ/ or /i/ and a quick 'see' sound.
US: /ˌærɪˈstɒkrəsi/ with a rhotic /r/ and a flatter vowel in /ɒ/; UK: /ˌærɪˈstɒkrəsi/ tends to non-rhoticize the /r/ (slightly weaker /r/) and a shorter /ɒ/; AU: /ˌærɪˈstɒkrəsi/ similar to UK but with slightly broader vowel qualities and a more pronounced ending /i/. Overall, stress remains on the third syllable; rhythm is similar, but vowel length and rhoticity vary.
Two main challenges: the cluster -stocr- in the middle; the /ɒ/ vowel in that cluster can be tricky, especially for non-native speakers, and the light, unstressed final -i/ -y- pronounced as /i/ or /ɪ/ depending on dialect. Practice by isolating the /ˈstɒk/ sequence and ensuring the /kr/ blends are held briefly, then glide into the final /əsi/ without over-enunciating.
No, Aristocracy is fully phonetic in standard pronunciations; all letters are typically pronounced in careful speech: ar-is-toc-ra-cy, with every consonant present in the IPA rendering. The key is not silent letters but correct syllabic stress and reduced vowels in unstressed positions.
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