patrician

1 of 2

noun

pa·​tri·​cian pə-ˈtri-shən How to pronounce patrician (audio)
plural patricians
1
: a member of one of the original citizen families of ancient Rome
2
a
: a person of high birth : aristocrat
one of the most nobly born of English patriciansSam Schulman
b
: a person of breeding and cultivation
a tall patrician … who looked as if she was accustomed to serving on boards and making important decisionsJ. A. Michener

patrician

2 of 2

adjective

1
a
: of, relating to, having, or characterized by high birth, rank, or station : aristocratic
a patrician family
But coming from a long patrician line of New England gentry … he is vulnerable to the populist card that his rivals are playing hard.Peter Oborne
More common than middle-class organizations in the mid-nineteenth century, however, were the exclusive patrician male enclaves, such as Boston's Somerset club …Howard P. Chudacoff
b
: associated with or characteristic of people of high social rank
his patrician bearing
a stately, patrician residence
… they spent freely on virtually everything that could be acquired to accommodate a patrician life-style.Simon Schama
… some visitors may prefer the more patrician comfort of hotels in L'Aquila.Niccolò Vivarelli
2
: of or relating to a member of one of the original citizen families of ancient Rome
… his pride was gratified by the choice of Nomius and Anatolius, two ministers of consular or patrician rank …Edward Gibbon

Did you know?

A patrician was originally a descendant of one of the original citizen families of ancient Rome. Until about 350 B.C., only patricians could hold the office of senator, consul, or pontifex (priest). Later, the word was applied to members of the nobility created by the Roman emperor Constantine. As time went by, other nobles, such as those in medieval Italian republics and in German city-states, also came to be known as patricians. Today someone's appearance, manners, or tastes can be described as patrician, whether the person is actually of high birth or not. The actress Grace Kelly, an immigrant's daughter, was admired for her patrician beauty even before she became Princess Grace of Monaco, with classic features worthy of ancient Rome's finest sculptors.

Examples of patrician in a Sentence

Noun the Southern patricians who once resided in these stately plantation homes
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Born the son of a patrician in the early 15th century, in Mainz, Germany, Gutenberg was originally trained as a goldsmith and metallurgist. Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2024 Quite how Cameron and his patrician air and association with mistakes of the past fit into Sunak’s political program, ahead of a general election next year, is anybody’s guess. Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2023 The touchstone characters, all sensationally realized — Teal Wicks as a White patrician undergoing a feminist awakening; Bobby Smith as a Jewish immigrant with a gift for entrepreneurship; Awa Sal Secka as a Black woman of infinite devotion — animate those cogs hearteningly. Peter Marks, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2023 Throughout his life, profiles of Mr. Hoge noted his patrician upbringing. Michael S. Rosenwald, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2023 Tall, patrician, and permanently attended by Pippi, his Old Danish Pointer, Anders Kirk Johansen is one of Godtfred’s grandsons and the founder of My Garage. Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 30 July 2023 Raised in Connecticut and rooted in Texas, the patrician Bush came across as a hapless tourist squinting to understand the dialect and comprehend the natives. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2023 One of leather’s most revelatory qualities is its ability to shape-shift, to convey bodily, musky sensuality one moment and an almost patrician reserve the next. Town & Country, 3 Mar. 2023 The plot centers on the doomed love between a young Christian woman and a Roman patrician, but their pallid romance is not what turned the novel into a worldwide sensation. Gaia Squarci, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Sep. 2020
Adjective
Allow me one last gasp of my assimilation into patrician ways of old. Anna Deavere Smith, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2023 Fortune, who died in 2020, was known for his high-profile clientele—Sofia Coppola, Marc Jacobs, Aileen Getty—and for his patrician sense of style. Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023 Defenders said her critics were confusing her patrician gentility for senility. Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2023 Janu, a patrician gentleman who was a landlord to many in the neighborhood, had recently had a stroke and was partially paralyzed. Anant Gupta, Washington Post, 22 Sep. 2023 Smart, athletic and outgoing, Ms. Ellis exuded the patrician charm of a bygone era, Jon Meacham, the historian and biographer of President George Bush, said in a phone interview. New York Times, 10 Jan. 2021 Ellie’s wealthy patrician parents invite her and Sebastian to spend July 4th weekend with them at their palatial summer estate. Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 May 2023 The game has a certain mystique, with its patrician dress code and complicated rules. Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post, 10 May 2023 Edoardo Agnelli, Gianni's father, bought a villa there for the family to spend their summers in 1926, and the patrician brood were fixtures there through the 1960s. Erik Maza, Town & Country, 24 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'patrician.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English patricion, from Anglo-French patrician, from Latin patricius, from patres senators, from plural of pater father — more at father

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of patrician was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near patrician

Cite this Entry

“Patrician.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patrician. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

patrician

noun
pa·​tri·​cian pə-ˈtrish-ən How to pronounce patrician (audio)
1
: a member of one of the original citizen families of ancient Rome
2
: a person of high birth or position : aristocrat
patrician adjective

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