Association of British Scrabble Players

Society > Ranks & Titles > Social


Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.


ariki (Maori) the first-born male or female of a notable family.
aristo an aristocrat > ARISTOS.
aristocracy a nobility or privileged class.
aristocrat a member of an aristocracy.
atheling an Anglo-Saxon nobleman.
baalebos (Yiddish) master of the house > BAALEBATIM.
baboo babu a title for Hindus in some parts of India corresponding to Mr; an Indian clerk; an Indian with a superficial English education.
babudom babuism the state of being a BABU.
bachelor an unmarried man; (hist.) a young knight who follows the banner of another, as too young to display his own.
banneret a knight of higher grade, orig one bringing vassals under his own banner, later, one dubbed on the field of battle (often confused with BARONET).
baron a lower member of nobility.
baronage the whole body of barons or peers.
baroness the wife of a baron.
baronet the holder of a rank below that of a BARON.
baronetage the title of BARONET.
baronetcy the office of a baronet.
baronetess a female baronet.
baronetical of or like a BARONET.
baronial of or pertaining to a baron or barons.
baronne a BARONESS.
barony the office or territory of a baron.
begum in the Indian subcontinent, a Muslim noblewoman or lady of high rank.
beknight to call or treat as a KNIGHT.
belady to call or treat as a LADY > BELADIES, BELADYING, BELADIED.
betitle to furnish with a title or titles.
boyar boyard a member of the old Russian aristocracy, abolished by Peter the Great.
boyarism rule by the BOYARS, the old Russian aristocracy.
brahman brahmin a member of the highest Hindu class.
brahmani a female BRAHMAN.
burgess a citizen or freeman of a borough.
burgher a citizen or freeman of a borough.
caballero a Spanish gentleman; a horseman > CABALLEROS.
carlot (Shakesp.) a peasant, a CHURL.
ceorl churl in Anglo-Saxon England, a freeman of the lowest rank.
ceorlish like a CEORL, churlish.
chevalier a cavalier, a knight.
childe chylde a youth of gentle birth, esp. in ballads. Note that CHYLDE, rather mysteriously, does not take an —S (but CHILDE does).
churl see CEORL.
chylde see CHILDE.
citizen a member of a state.
citizenship the state of being a CITIZEN.
clerisy scholars and educated people as a class.
colonus (Latin) a freeborn serf > COLONI.
comital relating to a count, earl or county.
commoner one of the common people; one having no rank of nobility.
comte a French nobleman.
contessa an Italian countess > CONTESSAS.
count in continental Europe, a noble equal in rank to an earl; an imperial official.
countess the wife of an earl in the British peerage, or of a count in the Continental nobility.
countship a count's dignity or domain.
daimio daimyo (Japanese) a territorial noble under the old feudal system.
dame the mistress of a house, a MATRON.
damoisel damoiselle damosel damozel damsel demoiselle (arch.) a young girl or unmarried woman.
don a Spanish title, corresponding to English Sir and Mr, formerly applied only to noblemen, now to all classes; (verb) to put on.
dona donah the female of DON.
donna an Italian title for a lady.
donship the quality or rank of a DON.
donzel a squire, aspirant to knighthood.
dowager a title given to a widow to distinguish her from the wife of her husband's heir.
ducal of or relating to a DUKE > DUCALLY.
duchess the wife or widow of a duke; (verb) to overwhelm with flattery and attention > DUCHESSES, DUCHESSING, DUCHESSED.
duke a nobleman of the highest order; (verb) to fight with the fists.
dukeling a little or insignificant duke.
dukery the office of DUKE.
dukeship the office of DUKE.
duniewassal duniwassal dunniewassal a Highland gentleman of inferior rank.
earl a rank above VISCOUNT, below MARQUIS.
earldom earlship the rank of EARL.
eorl (OE) an EARL.
eques one of an order of knights holding a middle place between the senate and the commonalty; members of the Roman equestrian order > EQUITES
esquire a landed proprietor; a title of dignity next below knight; (verb) to escort.
esquiress a female ESQUIRE.
eupatrid a member of the aristocracy in ancient Greek states > EUPATRIDAE or EUPATRIDS. [Gk. eupatrides, from eu, well, and pater, father].
franklin a rich medieval English freeholder.
gemman (coll.) a gentleman > GEMMEN.
gent (coll.) a gentleman.
gentilhomme a nobleman, a gentleman > GENTILSHOMMES.
gentilise gentilize to raise to the class of gentleman.
gentleman a man of good birth or high social standing > GENTLEMEN, GENTLEMANLY.
gentlewoman a woman of good breeding and refinement, a lady > GENTLEWOMEN, GENTLEWOMANLY.
gentry the class of people next below the rank of nobility.
goodman master of the house, head of the home > GOODMEN.
goodwife the mistress of a household > GOODWIVES.
grandee a man of elevated rank or station; a nobleman.
gudeman (Scots) a goodman > GUDEMEN.
gudewife (Scots) a goodwife > GUDEWIVES.
harijan in India, a member of the untouchable caste.
helot a serf or slave, esp. of ancient Sparta.
hidalga a title given to a Spanish noblewoman of the lower class.
hidalgo a title given to a Spanish nobleman of the lower class > HIDALGOS.
hidalgoish being like a HIDALGO.
hidalgoism the state of being a HIDALGO, a Spanish nobleman of the lower class.
illustrissimo most illustrious, esp. as belonging to the Italian aristocracy.
infanta a title borne by every one of the daughters of the kings of Spain and Portugal, except the eldest.
infante a title borne by every one of sons of the kings of Spain and Portugal, except the eldest or heir apparent.
junker (German) a young German noble or squire; esp., a member of the aristocratic party in Prussia.
junkerdom the office of junker.
kaumatua (Maori) a senior member of a tribe > KAUMATUAS.
khanum (a Middle Eastern title for) a lady of rank.
knight a man who has been awarded the rank immediately below BARONET, with the title 'Sir' > KNIGHTLY; (verb) to make a knight of.
knightage the body of KNIGHTS, taken collectively.
knightliness the state of being KNIGHTLY.
knightly like a KNIGHT > KNIGHTLIER, KNIGHTLIEST.
koro an elderly Maori man; a title of respect for an elderly Maori man.
kuia a Maori female elder or elderly woman > KUIAS.
kulak in Russia, a rich peasant > KULAKS or KULAKI.
ladify ladyfy to make like a LADY.
lady the wife of a KNIGHT, BARON or BARONET; generally, a woman of refinement and gentle manners.
ladyhood the state or quality of being a lady; the personality of a LADY.
ladyish somewhat like a LADY.
ladylike resembling or suitable to a LADY.
ladyship the condition of being a LADY.
laird the owner of a landed estate.
lairdly like a laird > LAIRDLIER, LAIRDLIEST.
lairdship the office of a laird.
landgrave a German nobleman of a rank corresponding to that of an EARL in England and of a COUNT in France.
landgravine a member of the German aristocracy.
lord a title for NOBLEMEN of various kinds.
maiden a young unmarried girl, esp. when still a virgin > MAIDENLY.
mali mallee a member of the gardener caste in India.
marchesa an Italian marchioness > MARCHESAS.
marchese an Italian marquess > MARCHESI.
marchioness the wife or widow of a MARQUESS.
margrave originally, a lord or keeper of the borders or marches in Germany.
margravine a margrave's wife or woman having the power of a margrave.
marquess marquis a British or Irish hereditary nobleman of the second rank of the peerage, below a duke and above an earl.
marquisate the seigniory, dignity, or lordship of a MARQUIS; the territory governed by a marquis.
marquise (the title of) a MARCHIONESS in Continental Europe or (formerly) Britain > MARQUISES.
matriarch a woman who is the head of a family.
matron a married woman of established social position.
matronal of or pertaining to a MATRON.
matronhood the state of being a MATRON.
matronly like a MATRON.
matronship the state of being a MATRON.
mazhbi a Sikh of low caste > MAZHBIS.
mirza a Persian title of honour.
miss an unmarried woman.
misshood the state of being a miss.
missy a miss; (adj.) like a miss, missish > MISSIER, MISSIEST.
mistress a woman employer of servants or head of a house or family; (verb) to make a mistress of > MISTRESSES, MISTRESSING, MISTRESSED.
mistressly like a MISTRESS.
moujik mujik muzhik muzjik a Russian peasant.
ngai clan or tribe, as used before the names of certain Maori tribes.
nob (sl.) a nobleman, a posh person.
nobility the upper class.
noble a member of the aristocracy; (adj.) of high birth > NOBLER, NOBLEST.
nobleman a noble.
noblesse nobles collectively.
nobilesse (Spenser) noblesse.
noblewoman a woman of noble rank.
noncitizen one who is not a citizen.
optimate a member of the patrician order in Rome; gen. a noble, an aristocrat.
parage high birth or rank; equality of birth or status. (Cf. DISPARAGE, which originally meant to marry someone off to someone of lower rank).
pariah a member of a caste in southern India lower than the four Brahminical castes; a person of low or no caste.
patrician aristocratic > PATRICIANLY; (noun) a member or descendant by blood or adoption of one of the original families of citizens forming the Roman people; an aristocrat.
peasant a person of inferior social rank.
peasantry peasants collectively.
peasanty in the style of a PEASANT.
peer a noble of the rank of baron upward; a member of the House of Lords; (verb) to look.
peeress a noblewoman.
pesant pesaunt pezant (arch.) a PEASANT.
pleb plebeian a member of the plebs of ancient Rome; a commoner; a member of a despised social class.
plebby vulgar, PLEBEIAN > PLEBBIER, PLEBBIEST.
plebean (Shakesp.) PLEBEIAN (adj. only).
plebeianise plebeianize plebify to make PLEBEIAN.
plebeianly in a PLEBEIAN manner.
plebs one of the two divisions of the Roman people, orig the less privileged politically.
prole a proletarian; (verb) to prowl.
proletarian a member of the PROLETARIAT.
proletariat the poorest labouring class; the wage-earning class, esp those without capital.
proletary a PROLETARIAN.
raiyat ryot an Indian peasant.
raiyatwari ryotwari a system of Indian peasantry.
ritter a German or Austrian knight or mounted warrior; a member of the German or Austrian minor nobility.
samurai a member of the military caste in feudal Japan.
scutiger a SQUIRE. [L. scutum, shield].
seigneur seignior a lord, especially of a manor.
seigneurial relating to a man of rank or authority.
seignior see SEIGNEUR.
serf a person in modified slavery, esp. one bound to work on the land.
serfish like a serf.
sharif a descendant of Mohammed through his daughter Fatima > SHARIFS or ASHRAF. [Arab. sarif, noble, high-born].
shereef sherif a SHARIF.
spinster an unmarried woman who is past the usual age for marrying > SPINSTERLY.
spinsterdom the state of being a SPINSTER.
squirage squireage the landed GENTRY collectively.
squiralty the gentlemen, or gentry, of a country, collectively.
squirarch one who belongs to the SQUIRARCHY.
squirarchy squirearchy the gentlemen, or gentry, of a country, collectively.
squire an English or Irish landed gentleman, esp. of old family > SQUIRELY; (verb) to escort > SQUIRES, SQUIRING, SQUIRED.
squireage see SQUIRAGE.
squirearchy see SQUIRARCHY.
squiredom the office of squire.
squireen (facetious) one who is half squire, half farmer.
squirehood the rank or state of a squire; squireship.
squireling a petty SQUIRE.
squiress a female SQUIRE.
squirish like a SQUIRE.
thane thegn a freeman granted land in return for military service; a Scottish feudal lord.
thanage thanedom thanehood thaneship the state or dignity of a THANE.
thete in ancient Greece, a serf; a poor freeman under Solon's constitution > THETES. [Gk. thes, thetos].
umfazi an African married woman > UMFAZIS.
unfreeman someone who does not have the freedom of a corporation.
unwashed (coll.) the lower classes > UNWASHEDS.
valvassor vavasor vavasour vavassor a knight, noble etc. with vassals under him who is himself the vassal of a greater noble.
varna any of the four great Hindu castes.
vicomte in France, a noble equal in rank to a VISCOUNT.
vicomtesse a female VICOMTE.
viscount a British or Irish nobleman ranking between an EARL and a BARON.
viscountcy the dignity or jurisdiction of a VISCOUNT.
viscounty the quality, rank, or office of a viscount.
waldgrave wildgrave a former German title of count; a head forest ranger.
waldgravine the wife of a WALDGRAVE.
wildgrave see WALDGRAVE.
yeoman a member of a class of small farmers, usu freeholders, the next grade below gentlemen (often serving as foot soldiers) > YEOMEN, YEOMANLY.