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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Nobility \No*bil"i*ty\, noun [L. nobilitas: cf. OF. nobilit['e]. See {Noble}.]
1. The quality or state of being noble; superiority of mind or of character; commanding excellence; eminence.
Though she hated Amphialus, yet the nobility of her courage prevailed over it. --Sir P. Sidney.
They thought it great their sovereign to control, And named their pride nobility of soul. --Dryden.
2. The state of being of high rank or noble birth; patrician dignity; antiquity of family; distinction by rank, station, or title, whether inherited or conferred.
I fell on the same argument of preferring virtue to nobility of blood and titles, in the story of Sigismunda. --Dryden.
3. Those who are noble; the collective body of nobles or titled persons in a state; the aristocratic and patrician class; the peerage; as, the English nobility.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
nobility
noun
1: a privileged class holding hereditary titles [syn: {aristocracy}]
2: the quality of being exalted in character or ideals or conduct [syn: {magnanimousness}, {grandeur}]
3: the state of being of noble birth [syn: {noblesse}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
258 Moby Thesaurus words for "nobility": Babylonian splendor, FFVs, aedileship, ancienne noblesse, archbishopric, archiepiscopacy, archiepiscopate, aristocracy, assured probity, augustness, authority, baronage, baronetage, barons, bigheartedness, bigness, birth, bishopric, blamelessness, blue blood, brilliance, chairmanship, chancellery, chancellorate, chancellorship, character, chiefery, chiefry, chieftaincy, chieftainry, chieftainship, chivalrousness, chivalry, class, cleanness, consequence, conspicuousness, consulate, consulship, courtliness, cream, deanery, decency, dictatorship, dictature, dignifiedness, dignity, directorship, distinction, elaborateness, elect, elegance, elevation, elite, eminence, emirate, episcopacy, erectness, errantry, establishment, estimableness, ethics, exaltation, excellence, fairness, fame, generosity, generousness, glory, good character, goodness, gorgeousness, governorship, grandeur, grandiosity, grandness, gravity, great heart, greatheartedness, greatness, greatness of heart, haut monde, headship, hegemony, heroism, hierarchy, high ideals, high life, high mightiness, high principles, high society, high-mindedness, honesty, honor, honorableness, idealism, illustriousness, immaculacy, importance, imposingness, impressiveness, influence, integrity, irreproachability, irreproachableness, justice, justness, kingliness, knight-errantry, knightage, knightliness, largeheartedness, lavishness, leadership, liberality, liberalness, loftiness, lordliness, lords of creation, lordship, luxuriousness, luxury, magistracy, magistrateship, magistrature, magnanimity, magnanimousness, magnificence, majesty, mark, masterdom, mastership, mastery, mayoralty, mayorship, metropolitanate, metropolitanship, moral excellence, moral strength, noble-mindedness, nobleness, noblesse, noblesse de robe, notability, note, old nobility, openhandedness, outstandingness, overlapping, papacy, pashadom, pashalic, patriarchate, patriarchy, peerage, plushness, pontificality, pontificate, popedom, popehood, popeship, poshness, position, power elite, power structure, prefectship, prefecture, premiership, presidency, presidentship, prestige, pride of bearing, pride of place, primacy, prime-ministership, prime-ministry, princedom, princeliness, princeship, principality, principles, probity, proconsulate, proconsulship, prominence, protectorate, protectorship, proud bearing, proudness, provostry, provostship, pureness, purity, rank, rectitude, rectorate, rectorship, regality, regency, regentship, renown, reputability, respectability, resplendence, righteousness, ritziness, royalty, ruling circles, ruling class, sedateness, seigniory, seneschalship, seneschalsy, sheikhdom, sheriffalty, sheriffcy, sheriffdom, shrievalty, significance, sobriety, solemnity, splendidness, splendiferousness, splendor, stainlessness, state, stateliness, sublimity, sumptuousness, supereminence, supervisorship, suzerainship, suzerainty, the Establishment, the Four Hundred, the best, the best people, the brass, the classes, top people, tribunate, unimpeachability, unimpeachableness, unspottedness, upper class, upper classes, upper crust, upper ten, upper ten thousand, uppercut, uprightness, upstandingness, venerability, virtue, virtuousness, vizierate, viziership, worthiness
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