Definition

Noun: 1. The class of landed gentry, especially as a political or social group: Refers collectively to the social class consisting of landowners, particularly in a historical British context, who hold local power and influence. 2. Government or domination by the landed gentry: Can refer to the system or condition where political power is held by this class of landowners.

Usage Examples

• The 18th-century squirearchy often served as justices of the peace in their local counties.
• The reform aimed to reduce the political power of the squirearchy.
• Historians study the influence of the squirearchy on rural life and laws.

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a connotation of traditional, conservative, and localized authority, contrasting with the urban industrial or professional classes.
• It can be used critically to describe an entrenched, privileged class resistant to change.
  • The proposed reforms were blocked by the entrenched interests of the local squirearchy.

Variants and Related Words

• Squire (noun): A country gentleman, especially the chief landowner in a district.
• Squirearch (noun): A member of the squirearchy; an individual landowner of this class.
• Landocracy (noun): A rare synonym, literally meaning "rule by landowners."

Synonyms

• Gentry
• Landed gentry
• Country gentlemen
• Landowners (as a class)

Notes on Meaning

• The term is specific to British social history and is not commonly used in contemporary American English.
• It implies not just wealth from land, but also the social status, political role, and lifestyle associated with it.

Noun

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