ruling class
Those who govern
The ruling class is the social group that holds dominant political and economic power in a society.
The term often carries Marxist connotations, implying that this group's interests shape laws, institutions, and cultural norms to maintain their position: The ruling class has always found ways to protect its wealth.
It can be used neutrally or critically, depending on context.
- eliteSuperior select group
- blue bloodAristocratic descent
- hereditary privilegeAdvantage conferred by birth
- aristocracyRule by hereditary elite
- crownSovereign's ornamental headpiece
nobility · oligarchy · throne · hegemony · bourgeoisie · means of production · Karl Marx · patriciate · gentry · Marxism · scepter · social stratification · labor · wealthy · power elite · upper crust · landed · feudalism
- social hierarchycaste system, caste, ranks, social classes, pecking order
- authoritiesruler, leaders, leader, officials, bosses
- classessubclass, superclass, underclass, caste, tier
- eliteelite, elites, aristocrats, nobility, best
- hierarchiestier, tiers, level, levels, rank
- nobilityking, queen, prince, princess, duke
ruling classcommon people
Non-elite members of society
the masses · working class · underclass · proletariat · lower classes
ruling classproletariat
Laborers lacking capital ownership
working class · wage earners · have-nots · the poor · servant class
ruling classlower classes
Society's poorest economic strata
commoners · plebeians · lower class · underclass · common folk
rule, class, rules, ruling, rulers, overrule, rulings, misrule, overrules