patrician
patrician Lexical Profile
patrician Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Belonging to, characteristic of, or befitting the aristocracy or high social rank; noble, refined, or upper-class.
"The diplomat spoke with a calm, patrician demeanor that commanded respect across the negotiating room."
Relating to the hereditary ruling class of ancient Rome.
"During the early Roman Republic, only members of patrician families were eligible to hold the highest religious and political offices."
• noun
An aristocrat or nobleman; a person of high social rank, refined upbringing, and hereditary privilege.
"Wealthy patricians in Renaissance Venice funded elaborate public monuments and commissioned works from leading painters."
A member of the original hereditary ruling class of ancient Rome, distinct from the plebeians.
"The long political struggle between the patricians and the plebeians shaped the constitutional evolution of the Roman Republic."
• Rhymes for patrician
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French patricien, from Latin patricius ('having a noble father' or 'of the rank of the senators'), derived from patres ('fathers', the title given to Roman senators), from pater ('father').