nobility n. 〈英〉贵族 出身于贵族世家或由国王授予贵族或荣誉称号的人。授予贵族可通过颁发令状的方式实现，即通过王室传唤令〔royal summons〕通知其前来参加贵族院，或通过开封特许状〔letters patent〕由国王授予荣誉或贵族等级。贵族源于封建制度，作为回报，受封者要为国王履行特定的义务，同时他除贵族头衔之外，还会得到大片地产及其上的司法管辖权、征税权等特权。贵族分公〔duke〕、侯〔marquess〕、伯〔earl〕、子〔viscount〕、男〔baron〕五等，当然在过去国王还可以随其意愿创设其他爵位。这些爵位现在或曾经也在欧洲古代国家中存在过。联合王国于1963年之后已不再授予任何可继承的贵族爵位。
nobility, n. pl. 1. Persons of social or political preeminence, usu. derived by inheritance or from the sovereign. • In English law, there are various degrees of nobility, or peerage, such as dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, and barons, and their female counterparts. Nobility is generally created either by a writ of summons to sit in