noun
nobility
noh-BIL-uh-tee/nəʊˈbɪləti/
The social class whose members hold hereditary titles.
Members of the nobility inherit titles such as duke and count.
Etymology
Latin nobilitas joined fame with high birth and excellence. Its basis in nobilis, “well-known,” connects inherited social rank with the prominence of families whose names were publicly recognized.
In context
A duke sat at or near the top of ordinary nobility, a rank reached almost exclusively through birth into an already-elevated family
More examples
- The museum displays portraits of the local nobility.
- The nobility once owned most of the land in this region.
- She studies marriage customs among the European nobility.
Forms
noble noun — A member of the titled upper class.
Similar words
- aristocracy
- May include hereditary elites who hold no formal titles.
- peerage
- Refers specifically to peers as a recognized titled group.