warrior class
Hereditary fighting elite
A warrior class is a social stratum whose members are defined by their role as fighters.
In feudal societies like medieval Japan or Europe, the warrior class—samurai, knights—held hereditary status and privileges tied to military service.
The term extends to any society where combat specialists form a distinct group: The Spartans maintained a warrior class supported by slave labor.
In figurative use, it can describe any elite group defined by competition or conflict.
- samuraiFeudal Japanese military caste
- AmazonsLegendary all-woman fighters
- mercenarySoldier fighting for pay
- soldierArmed forces member
- honorHigh regard, moral dignity
sworn oath · blood oath · bushido · code of honor · elite guard · Zulu warriors · Spartans · knights · protector · feudal hierarchy · feudal lord · praetorian · caste system · tactician · clans · hoplite · battle cry · Vikings
- classessubclass, superclass, underclass, caste, tier
- social classesnobles, aristocrats, underclass, peasants, elite
- social rankstatus, rank, nobility, peerage, caste
- warrior culturesamurai, knights, gladiators, berserkers, spartan
- Edo Japanshogun, samurai, shogunate, daimyo, Tokugawa
- MesoamericaMaya, Aztec, Aztecs, Aztec Empire, Olmec
warrior classpeasant class
Feudal agricultural laborers
merchant class · priestly class · clergy · serfs · servant class
warrior classcivilian population
non-combatants · protected classes · monastic orders · peasantry · underclass
warrior classmercenaries
Soldiers paid to fight
conscripts · professional army · militia · standing army · draftees