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Meaning & use

nobles

noun·Advanced

Last updated

UK/ˈnəʊblz/
US/ˈnoʊblz/

“nobles” is a form of “noble”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.

Meanings

  1. nounplural

    People of high social rank, especially those with titles such as duke, count, or baron.

    Grammar: Always plural in this sense; the singular 'noble' means one such person.

    Patterns

    • the nobles of something
    • a group of nobles
    • wealthy nobles

    In medieval Europe, nobles owned most of the land and collected taxes from the farmers.

    The king summoned the nobles to his castle to discuss the coming war.

    Many nobles lost their fortunes during the revolution.

  2. nounplural

    Members of the highest social class in a country, considered as a group.

    Grammar: Often used with 'the' to mean the whole class, similar to 'the rich'.

    Patterns

    • the nobles
    • support from the nobles

    The nobles controlled the region for centuries before the central government took power.

    She was born among the nobles but chose to live a simple life.

Word forms

singularnoble

Common combinations

the nobles of the realm
The nobles of the realm gathered for the coronation.
a powerful noble
A powerful noble could raise an army of his own.
land-owning nobles
Land-owning nobles resisted the new tax.
the nobles and the clergy
In old France, the nobles and the clergy held special privileges.

Synonyms and how they differ

aristocrats
More general and common in modern English; it covers titled families in any country, not only historical European ones.
peers
Used mainly in British English for members of the nobility with the right to sit in the House of Lords.
the nobility
A collective term for the whole class; 'nobles' counts individual people.

Opposites

commonerspeasants

Word family

noble adjective
Describing someone or something as having or showing fine personal qualities, or belonging to the highest social class.
nobility noun
The whole social class of nobles, or the quality of being noble.
nobly adverb
In a brave, generous, or honorable way.

Commonly confused: nobles or nobles?

nobles vs nobles

Do not confuse with 'nobels', which is not a normal English word; the element is 'nobelium' and the prize is the Nobel Prize.

Practice

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