Aristocracy vs. Royalty — What's the Difference?

A class of people considered superior to others in society due to birth, rank, or titles.

Persons holding the title of king, queen, prince, or similar royal titles.

Those with hereditary noble titles.

The state or quality of being royal.

A governing group or upper class usually made up of a nobility.

Rights or privileges of a king or queen.

Persons considered to be in the highest social class in a society.

Members of a royal family of a kingdom or other realm.

An elite group holding power or authority in a nation.

An individual considered as having high or princely status.

Aristocracy (Greek: ἀριστοκρατία aristokratía, from ἄριστος aristos 'excellent', and κράτος, kratos 'rule') is a form of government that places strength in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class, the aristocrats. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning 'rule of the best'.At the time of the word's origins in ancient Greece, the Greeks conceived it as rule by the best-qualified citizens—and often contrasted it favorably with monarchy, rule by an individual.

People of royal blood or status

The highest class in certain societies, typically comprising people of noble birth holding hereditary titles and offices

A sum paid to a patentee for the use of a patent or to an author or composer for each copy of a book sold or for each public performance of a work

A hereditary ruling class; nobility.

A royal right (now especially over minerals) granted by the sovereign to an individual or corporation.

Government by a ruling class.

Monarchs and their families considered as a group.

A state or country having this form of government.

A person of royal rank or family

Government by the citizens deemed to be best qualified to lead.

The rank, power, or authority of a monarch

A state having such a government.

Royal quality or bearing.

A group or class considered superior to others.

A kingdom or possession ruled by a monarch.

The nobility, or the hereditary ruling class.

A right or prerogative of the crown, as that of receiving a percentage of the proceeds from mines in the royal domain.

Government by such a class, or a state with such a government

The granting of a right by a monarch to a corporation or an individual to exploit specified natural resources.

A class of people considered (not normally universally) superior to others

The payment for such a right.

Government by the best citizens.

A share paid to a writer or composer out of the proceeds resulting from the sale or performance of their work.

A ruling body composed of the best citizens.

A share in the proceeds paid to an inventor or proprietor for the right to use their invention or services.

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.

A share of the profit or product reserved by the grantor, especially of an oil or mining lease. In this sense also called override.

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.

The rank, status, power or authority of a monarch.

A privileged class holding hereditary titles

People of royal rank, plus their families, treated as a group.

The most powerful members of a society

A royal right or prerogative, such as the exploitation of a natural resource; the granting of such a right; payment received for such a right.

The payment received by an owner of real property for exploitation of mineral rights in the property.

(by extension) Payment made to a writer, composer, inventor etc for the sale or use of intellectual property, invention etc.

(figuratively) Someone in a privileged position.

A king and a queen as a starting hand in Texas hold 'em.

The bounds of a royal burgh.

The state of being royal; the condition or quality of a royal person; kingship; kingly office; sovereignty.

The person of a king or sovereign; majesty; as, in the presence of royalty.

An emblem of royalty; - usually in the plural, meaning regalia.

Kingliness; spirit of regal authority.

Domain; province; sphere.

That which is due to a sovereign, as a seigniorage on gold and silver coined at the mint, metals taken from mines, etc.; the tax exacted in lieu of such share; imperiality.

A share of the product or profit (as of a mine, forest, etc.), reserved by the owner for permitting another to use the property.

Hence (Com.), a duty paid by a manufacturer to the owner of a patent or a copyright at a certain rate for each article manufactured; or, a percentage paid to the owner of an article by one who hires the use of it.

Payment to the holder of a patent or copyright or resource for the right to use their property;

Royal persons collectively;

Royalty often has constitutional roles in governance, particularly in ceremonial duties, whereas aristocracy does not necessarily involve governance roles.

Yes, historically, aristocrats often held significant political power, though in modern times, this influence is more cultural or social than political.

Aristocracy refers to a broader class of nobility or elite, whereas royalty specifically denotes members of a royal family with sovereign powers.

Titles such as king, queen, prince, and princess are specific to royalty.

Titles such as duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron are commonly associated with aristocracy.

In many countries, aristocrats retain considerable social influence, though their formal political power is greatly diminished.

Common duties include state functions, diplomatic engagements, and ceremonial roles.

While many aristocrats inherit wealth and land, the title itself doesn't guarantee wealth in the modern context.

Yes, royalty is considered the highest ranking of the aristocracy, specifically with sovereign or national symbolic roles.

Most monarchies have some form of aristocracy, though the specifics and influence can vary widely.

In modern states, the role of royalty can vary from purely ceremonial to significant, depending on the country's constitutional structure.

Membership in the aristocracy is typically inherited, though it can sometimes be granted by a monarch.

Becoming royalty typically involves being born into or marrying into a royal family.

Aristocracy is often viewed as a privileged upper class, whereas royalty is seen as embodying sovereign leadership and national identity.

Yes, aristocracy can exist in republics and other non-monarchical systems, typically holding cultural or economic power.