Definition

Noun: - The class of wealthy landowners who are not of the nobility: The term refers specifically to members of the upper class whose wealth, status, and income are derived primarily from the ownership of extensive rural land, which they often rent to tenant farmers. Historically, they held significant local influence and social prestige.

Usage

• The term is used to describe a social class, typically in a historical or socio-economic context.
• It often implies a hereditary status and a lifestyle associated with country estates.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• The term is often contrasted with the "nouveau riche" (those newly wealthy from trade or industry) and the "peerage" or "nobility" (those with hereditary titles).
• It can be used metaphorically to describe any entrenched, traditional elite whose power is based on property ownership.

Variants and Related Words

• Gentry (noun): A broader term for people of good social position, specifically the class next below the nobility. The "landed gentry" are a subset of the gentry.
• Squirearchy (noun): A term often used synonymously with "landed gentry," emphasizing the squire (a country landowner) as the typical figure.
• Landowner (noun): A more general term for a person who owns land, without the specific social class connotations of "landed gentry."

Synonyms

• Country gentlemen
• Squirearchy
• Rural aristocracy (note: this can imply a higher status than gentry)

Related Phrases

• Landed interest: A term referring to the collective political and economic influence of landowners.
• Landowning class: A more modern and neutral socio-economic term.

Noun

1. the gentry who own land (considered as a class)