patrician

American  

[puh-trish-uhn] / pəˈtrɪʃ ən /

noun

1. a person of noble or high rank; aristocrat.

2. a person of very good background, education, and refinement.

3. a member of the original senatorial aristocracy in ancient Rome.

4. (under the later Roman and Byzantine empires) a title or dignity conferred by the emperor.

5. a member of a hereditary ruling class in certain medieval German, Swiss, and Italian free cities.

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adjective

1. of high social rank or noble family; aristocratic.

2. befitting or characteristic of persons of very good background, education, and refinement.

   patrician tastes.

   Synonyms:

   stately, genteel, dignified

3. of or belonging to the patrician families of ancient Rome.

patrician British  

/ pəˈtrɪʃən /

noun

1. a member of the hereditary aristocracy of ancient Rome. In the early republic the patricians held almost all the higher offices Compare plebs

2. a high nonhereditary title awarded by Constantine and his eastern Roman successors for services to the empire

3. 1. a title borne by numerous princes including several emperors from the 8th to the 12th centuries

   2. a member of the upper class in numerous Italian republics and German free cities

4. an aristocrat

5. a person of refined conduct, tastes, etc

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adjective

1. (esp in ancient Rome) of, relating to, or composed of patricians

2. aristocratic

3. oligarchic and often antidemocratic or nonpopular

   patrician political views

Other Word Forms

• patricianhood noun
• patricianism noun
• patricianly adverb
• patricianship noun
• prepatrician adjective
• unpatrician adjective

Etymology

Origin of patrician

First recorded in 1400–50; from Latin patrīci(us) “having the rank of patrician, noble,” (equivalent to patr-, stem of pater “father” + -īcius adjective suffix) + -an; replacing late Middle English patricion, from Old French patricien; patr- ( def. ), -itious ( def. ), -an ( def. )

Explanation

That refined gentleman over there with the excellent manners, the elegant suit, and the beautiful home on Park Avenue? He’s a patrician, a member of the upper classes. In ancient Rome, the word patrician referred to members of the aristocracy, but its meaning has evolved to include those who belong to the upper classes. The adjective form of patrician describes things that are associated with the upper class, like a patrician assumption that all children should go to boarding school. Someone who enjoys refined dinners might be described as having patrician taste.

Example Sentences

For many Americans, the nationally televised hearing was the first close look at the patrician, grey-haired former FBI director.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

Van Berchem was one of the city’s most respected financiers, a patrician figure with deep roots in Geneva society.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 18, 2025

This was despite the fact that Bush didn't drink and his very patrician Connecticut lineage went all the way back to President Franklin Pierce.

From Salon • May 16, 2025

For decades she was dismissed as a paintbrush-wielding patrician unconnected to the make-it-new spirit of modern art.

From New York Times • May 16, 2024

It had a patrician bump on its nose, magnificent curly hair that rested atop a pronounced collarbone, and a broad forehead that reflected in miniature the walls and doors and lampshades around them.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

Related Words

• aristocratic