aristocratic
/ˌærɪstəˈkrætɪk/adjective
Relating to nobility or rule by elites
From Greek aristo- (best).
Lineage
aristo-
-cratic
The story
In ancient Greek, aristos meant “best”—not merely the fanciest person at the banquet, but the noblest or most virtuous. Add the family of words built on kratos, “power” or “rule,” and you get a political ideal: government by the best. Greek aristokratikós traveled through French aristocratique before English adopted aristocratic around 1600. By 1845, the word had also acquired its social polish: grand, stylish, fit for nobility. The funny twist is that “rule by the best” can sound like a compliment, while in practice it often meant rule by a privileged few.
Words from the same roots
aristo- · Ancient Greek, ‘best, noblest’
Derivedaristocracy, aristocrat, aristocratical
-cratic · Ancient Greek, ‘relating to strength, authority, or rule’
Deriveddemocratic, theocratic, bureaucratic, autocratic
Sources
- Etymonlinearistocratic, aristo-, hilarity, blue, gentle, patrician
- Urban Dictionaryaristocratic
- Wiktionaryaristocratic, aristo-, -cratic