"Aristocracy (Greek \u1F00\u03C1\u03B9\u03C3\u03C4\u03BF\u03BA\u03C1\u03B1\u03C4\u03AF\u03B1 aristokrat\u00EDa, from \u1F04\u03C1\u03B9\u03C3\u03C4\u03BF\u03C2 aristos \"excellent,\" and \u03BA\u03C1\u03AC\u03C4\u03BF\u03C2 kratos \"power\") is a form of government that places power in the hands of a small, privileged ruling class. The term derives from the Greek aristokratia, meaning \"rule of the best\".At the time of the word's origins in Ancient Greece, the Greeks conceived it as rule by the best qualified citizens\u2014and often contrasted it favourably with monarchy, rule by an individual."@en . . .