aristocracy government definition
Aristocracy. (1) A form of government under which state power is retained by a privileged noble minority. As a form of government, aristocracy stands in opposition to monarchy and democracy.Är'Ä­stÅk`rÉsÄ) [Gr.,=rule by the best], in political science, government by a social elite. In the West the political concept of aristocracy derives from Plato's formulation in the Republic.