Patrician
/pəˈtrɪʃən/noun
A person of high social rank, especially a member of the ancient Roman aristocratic class.
Did you know?Patrician comes from Latin patricius, meaning “of the fathers,” from pater (“father”), because Rome’s first aristocrats claimed descent from the city’s original male ancestors.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ph₂tḗr
“father”
Latin
Latin
pater
“father”
Latin
Latin
patricius
“of noble birth; belonging to the Roman ruling class”
Old French
Old French
patricien
“a nobleman; member of the aristocracy”
Middle English
English
patricien
“a nobleman or aristocrat”
Modern English
English
patrician
“a member of the aristocratic class; refined or elite in manner”