n.
Pronunciation: ˌ a-r ə - ' stä-kr ə -s ē , ˌ er- ə -
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -cies
Etymology: Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French aristocratie, from Late Latin aristocratia, from Greek aristokratia, from aristos best + -kratia -cracy
Date: 1561
1 : government by the best individuals or by a small privileged class
2 a : a government in which power is vested in a minority consisting of those believed to be best qualified b : a state with such a government
3 : a governing body or upper class usually made up of a hereditary nobility
4 : the aggregate of those believed to be superior