a socially or politically privileged class whose titles are conferred by descent or by royal decree the state or quality of being morally or spiritually good; dignity: the nobility of his mind (in the British Isles) the class of people holding the titles of dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, or barons and their feminine equivalents collectively; peerage
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
no•bil•i•ty /noʊˈbɪlɪti/USA pronunciation
n. [uncountable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- the noble, or highest social, class, or the body of nobles in a country.
- the state or quality of being noble.
- nobleness of mind, character, or spirit.
no•bil•i•ty
(nō bil′i tē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -ties.
- the noble class or the body of nobles in a country.
- British Terms(in Britain) the peerage.
- the state or quality of being noble.
- nobleness of mind, character, or spirit;
exalted moral excellence. - grandeur or magnificence.
- noble birth or rank.
- Latin nōbilitās. See noble, -ity
- Middle English nobilite 1350–1400
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::