1. (n.) Government by a hereditary class of nobility\.

2. (n.) A ruling body composed of the best citizens.

3. (n.) A form a government, in which the supreme power is vested in the principal persons of a state, or in a privileged order; an oligarchy.

4. (n.) The nobles or chief persons in a state; a privileged class or patrician order; (in a popular use) those who are regarded as superior to the rest of the community, as in rank, fortune, or intellect.

FFVs absolute monarchy aedileship ancestry ancienne noblesse archbishopric archiepiscopacy archiepiscopate aristocraticalness autarchy autocracy autonomy baronage baronetage barons beau monde birth bishopric blood blue blood bon ton carriage trade chairmanship chancellery chancellorate chancellorship chiefery chiefry chieftaincy chieftainry chieftainship chivalry coalition government colonialism commonwealth constitutional government constitutional monarchy consulate consulship county cream deanery democracy dictatorship dictature directorship distinction dominion rule duarchy duumvirate dyarchy elect elite emirate episcopacy establishment federal government federation feudal system flower garrison state genteelness gentility gentry gerontocracy governorship haut monde headship hegemony heteronomy hierarchy hierocracy high life high society home rule honorable descent jet set knightage leadership limited monarchy lords of creation lordship magistracy magistrateship magistrature martial law masterdom mastership mastery mayoralty mayorship meritocracy metropolitanate metropolitanship militarism military government mob rule mobocracy monarchy neocolonialism nobility noble birth nobleness noblesse noblesse de robe ochlocracy old nobility oligarchy overlapping pantisocracy papacy pashadom pashalic patriarchate patriarchy patricians patriciate peerage police state pontificality pontificate popedom popehood popeship power elite power structure prefectship prefecture premiership presidency presidentship prime-ministership prime-ministry princedom princeship principality proconsulate proconsulship protectorate protectorship provostry provostship pure democracy quality rank rectorate rectorship regency regentship representative democracy representative government republic royalty ruling circles ruling class seigniory self-determination self-government seneschalship seneschalsy sheikhdom sheriffalty sheriffcy sheriffdom shrievalty smart set social democracy society stratocracy supervisorship suzerainship suzerainty technocracy the Four Hundred the best the best people the brass the classes thearchy theocracy top people totalitarian government totalitarian regime triarchy tribunate triumvirate tyranny upper class upper classes upper crust upper ten upper ten thousand uppercut vizierate viziership welfare state