1. members of the aristocratic class in ancient Rome who held the highest social and political positions
Usage: historical
2. people of high social rank or noble birth; aristocrats

Examples

• The patricians controlled the Roman Senate for centuries.
• Only patricians could hold certain religious offices in ancient Rome.
• The conflict between patricians and plebeians shaped early Roman politics.
• Wealthy patricians lived in luxurious villas on the hills of Rome.
• Modern patricians often trace their ancestry back many generations.
• The old patricians looked down on the newly wealthy merchants.