What does patriciate mean?
The patriciate denotes a privileged social class whose members possess status partly through distinguished ancestry. Its principal historical meaning refers to the patricians of ancient Rome, a hereditary elite descended from the senators who supposedly formed the first Roman Senate. These families occupied the upper ranks of Roman society and retained substantial political, legal, and economic privileges, especially during the Republic. The term can also be used more broadly for an established aristocratic class, but that extension is comparatively uncommon and often has a formal or historical tone. Although individual patricians could lose or alter their inherited status, membership in the patriciate remained closely associated with lineage, political influence, and elite status. In modern scholarship, “Roman patriciate” is the most precise expression, while wider applications need sufficient context to avoid suggesting the ancient Roman institution itself.
nounThe patriciate was the privileged hereditary class of ancient Rome, whose members were descended from the original Senate. In later usage, the term refers more generally to an aristocratic social class whose status descends through a distinguished family line.
- The original hereditary privileged class of ancient Rome.
- A broader aristocratic class distinguished by inherited lineage and social privilege.
"Her research focused on the political influence of the Roman patriciate during the Republic."
"The reform limited the political authority of the Roman patriciate."
"The family belonged to the established patriciate of the provincial capital."
Usually plural when referring to the elite classes of different societies or periods, as in “the Roman and Greek patriciates.”
"Historians compared the Roman and Greek patriciates."
The patriciate began as Rome's founding elite, tracing its authority to the Senate created by Romulus.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does patriciate come from?
The word comes through French from Latin patriciatus, a noun formed from patricius, meaning “a member of the patrician class.” The Latin term referred originally to descendants of the original Roman senators and later acquired the broader sense of nobility or ruling elites. Its English use was established in the early 17th century, initially in discussions of Roman history and later in comparisons with other aristocratic societies.
Related word forms
How patriciate is actually used
In historical contexts, the term most often refers specifically to the elite of ancient Rome. Its broader use for a privileged hereditary or established upper class is less common and may sound formal or literary.
Easily confused with patriciate
A patrician is an individual belonging to the patriciate, whereas the patriciate names the class or social order as a whole.