nobility

 
Pronunciation: /nə(ʊ)ˈbɪlɪti/

noun (plural nobilities)

[mass noun]
  • 1the quality of being noble in character: a man of nobility and learning
  • 2the quality of belonging to the aristocracy: after 1722 nobility was only acquired by service in the army or bureaucracy
  • (usually the nobility) the group of people belonging to the highest social class in a country; the aristocracy: a member of the English nobility

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French nobilite or Latin nobilitas, from nobilis 'noted, high-born' (see noble)