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Meaning & use

nobility

noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/nəʊˈbɪləti/
US/noʊˈbɪləti/

Meanings

  1. nounsingular

    The group of people in a society who hold the highest rank, such as dukes and countesses, usually through birth or title.

    Grammar: Used with the: the nobility. It is a collective noun and takes a singular or plural verb in British English.

    Patterns

    • the nobility
    • a member of the nobility
    • belong to the nobility

    The king rewarded the nobility with land in exchange for loyal service.

    Her family belonged to the old French nobility.

    In medieval Europe, the nobility held most of the power and wealth.

  2. noununcountableapproving

    The quality of being honorable, generous and morally good in the way you think and act.

    Grammar: Uncountable, with no article: she acted with nobility. It is often followed by of: the nobility of his sacrifice.

    Patterns

    • the nobility of something
    • act with nobility

    The nurse showed great nobility by staying with her patients through the storm.

    Many people admired the nobility of his decision to forgive his rival.

    There was a quiet nobility in the way she faced her illness.

Common combinations

landed nobility
The landed nobility owned huge estates in the countryside.
minor nobility
His grandfather came from the minor nobility of Poland.
nobility of spirit
The poem praises her nobility of spirit.
a title of nobility
The country abolished every title of nobility after the revolution.
members of the nobility
Members of the nobility were invited to the royal ball.
nobility of purpose
Her nobility of purpose won the respect of her opponents.

Synonyms and how they differ

aristocracy
Aristocracy is close in meaning for the class sense, but it often stresses a ruling elite and its power rather than the titles themselves.
gentry
Gentry means the landowning class just below the nobility, so it is lower in rank.
integrity
Integrity, for the character sense, focuses on honesty and consistent principles, while nobility adds a sense of grandeur and generosity.
honor
Honor means high moral standing or a sense of duty and is less lofty than nobility in tone.

Opposites

commonersbaseness

Word family

noble adjective
belonging to the highest class, or morally fine and generous
nobleman noun
a man of high birth
noblewoman noun
a woman of high birth
nobly adverb
in a generous and honorable way
ennoble verb
to give someone a title, or to make something more dignified

Commonly confused: nobility or nobleness?

nobility vs nobleness

Nobleness is a rarer synonym that mostly describes character, while nobility can also mean the whole aristocratic class.

Practice

In which sentence does nobility refer to character rather than social class?

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