Aristocracy

Aristocracy is a kind of government that puts power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class.^[1] The word aristocracy comes from Ancient Greek, in which "aristocracy" means the rule of the best, but it has come to mean rule by Nobility. The word aristocracy can also be used to refer to the ruling class of an aristocracy. A member of the aristocracy is called an aristocrat.

There are different kinds of aristocracy with different ways the government is set up. Historically, most aristocracies were hereditary, which means members of the ruling group passed on their roles to their heir after they died or gave up their role (abdication). In most cases, this was their oldest living son; daughters were usually excluded, or only made heir if there were no living sons. Aristocracies have often had higher and lower roles within them; for example, the role of duke/duchess is higher than the role of baron/baroness.

Some examples of aristocracies in history are the Spartiates in Sparta, the eupatridae in Athens, the patricians in Rome, and the various feudal states in Europe. There were also aristocracies outside of Europe.

1. ↑ "Aristocracy". Oxford English Dictionary. December 1989. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved September 6. 2024. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)