patriciate

Definitions

1. The rank of a patrician
2. The aristocracy or nobility

Equivalents

Examples

“The idea of his frivolity had, no doubt⟳, to do with his personal designation, which represented—as yet, for our young woman, a little confusedly—a connection with an historic patriciate, a class that, in turn⟳, also confusedly, represented an affinity with a social element that she had never heard otherwise described than as "fashion."”

CEFR level