patrician (noun)

a person of refined upbringing and manners

aristocrat, blue blood, patrician (adj)

a member of the aristocracy

patrician (adj)

befitting a person of noble origin

"a patrician nose"

aristocratic, aristocratical, blue, blue-blooded, gentle, patrician (adj)

belonging to or characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy

"an aristocratic family"; "aristocratic Bostonians"; "aristocratic government"; "a blue family"; "blue blood"; "the blue-blooded aristocracy"; "of gentle blood"; "patrician landholders of the American South"; "aristocratic bearing"; "aristocratic features"; "patrician tastes"

patrician (Noun)

Originally, a member of any of the families constituting the populus Romanus, or body of Roman citizens, before the development of the plebeian order; later, one who, by right of birth or by special privilege conferred, belonged to the senior class of Romans, who, with certain property, had by right a seat in the Roman Senate.

patrician (Noun)

A person of high birth; a nobleman.

patrician (Noun)

One familiar with the works of the Christian Fathers; one versed in patristic lore or life.

patrician (Adjective)

Of or pertaining to the Roman patres (fathers) or senators, or patricians.

patrician (Adjective)

Of, pertaining to, or appropriate to, a person of high birth; noble; not plebeian.

patrician (Adjective)

Of or pertaining to St. Patrick.

Patrician

Patricianship, the quality of belonging to a patriciate, began in the ancient world, where cities such as Ancient Rome had a class of patrician families whose members were the only people allowed to exercise many political functions. In the rise of European towns in the 10th and 11th centuries, the patriciate, a limited group of families with a special constitutional position, in Henri Pirenne's view, was the motive force. In 19th century central Europe, the term had become synonymous with the Bourgeoisie. With the establishment of the medieval Italian republics, the patriciate was a formally defined class of governing elites found within metropolitan areas such as Venice, Florence, Genoa, and Amalfi and also in many of the Free imperial cities of Germany such as Nuremburg, Ravensburg, Augsburg, Konstanz and Lindau and Switzerland such Bern, Basel and Zurich. As in Ancient Rome, patrician status could generally only be inherited. However, membership in the patriciate could be passed on through the female line. For example, if the union was approved by her parents, the husband of patrician daughter was granted membership in the patrician society Zum Sünfzen of the Imperial Free City of Lindau as a matter of right, on the same terms as the younger son of a patrician male even if the husband was otherwise deemed socially ineligible. Accession to a patriciate through this mechanism was referred to as "erweibern."