Royalty vs. Nobility: What's the Difference?
Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Updated on October 10, 2023
Royalty refers to members of a royal family, such as kings, queens, princes, and princesses. Nobility consists of aristocrats who are high-ranking but not royal, such as dukes, earls, and barons.
Key Differences
Royalty is a term specifically reserved for individuals who are part of a royal family. These are the people who hold, or are eligible to hold, a kingdom’s highest titles such as king, queen, prince, or princess. Nobility, on the other hand, is a broader term encompassing individuals who are aristocrats but are not part of the immediate royal family. Members of the nobility may hold titles like duke, baron, or earl.
While both royalty and nobility enjoy special privileges and often live in luxury, their roles within a kingdom can vary considerably. Royalty usually has the highest level of authority, including legislative and sometimes even judicial powers. Nobility often serves in advisory roles or as regional rulers but do not hold as much power as the royalty.
Grammatically speaking, "royalty" is a collective and uncountable noun, which refers to the institution or group of royal family members. "Nobility" is also an uncountable noun, referring to a social class of people with hereditary titles, but not necessarily royal. Both words can be pluralized when referring to multiple royal or noble houses, such as "European royalties" or "ancient nobilities."
Historically, the lines between royalty and nobility were often blurred, especially when nobles married into royal families. However, the titles and roles have become more standardized over time. While both belong to the upper echelons of society, royalty typically inherits or assumes a level of responsibility and power that members of the nobility do not.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Members of a royal family
High-ranking aristocrats
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Grammatical Category
Uncountable Noun
Uncountable Noun
Roles
Highest authority
Advisory or regional roles
Common Titles
King, Queen, Prince, Princess
Duke, Earl, Baron
Power
Highest
Lesser than royalty
Royalty and Nobility Definitions
Royalty
A collective term for a kingdom's ruling family.
Royalty is often hereditary.
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Nobility
A class of persons distinguished by high birth or rank and in Great Britain including dukes and duchesses, marquises and marchionesses, earls and countesses, viscounts and viscountesses, and barons and baronesses
"The old English nobility of office made way for the Norman nobility of faith and landed wealth" (Winston S. Churchill).
Royalty
Members of a royal family.
The royalty attended the state banquet.
Nobility
Noble rank or status
Congress may not grant titles of nobility.
Royalty
Individuals eligible for a throne.
The prince is next in line for the royalty.
Nobility
The state or quality of being exalted in character.
Royalty
Monarchs and their families considered as a group.
Nobility
A noble or privileged social class, historically accompanied by a hereditary title; aristocracy.
Royalty
A person of royal rank or family
I wish he'd quit acting like he's royalty.
Nobility
(uncountable) The quality of being noble.
Royalty
The rank, power, or authority of a monarch
A crown is a symbol of royalty.
Nobility
The quality or state of being noble; superiority of mind or of character; commanding excellence; eminence.
Though she hated Amphialus, yet the nobility of her courage prevailed over it.
They thought it great their sovereign to control,And named their pride nobility of soul.
Royalty
Royal quality or bearing.
Nobility
The state of being of high rank or noble birth; patrician dignity; antiquity of family; distinction by rank, station, or title, whether inherited or conferred.
I fell on the same argument of preferring virtue to nobility of blood and titles, in the story of Sigismunda.
Royalty
A kingdom or possession ruled by a monarch.
Nobility
Those who are noble; the collective body of nobles or titled persons in a state; the aristocratic and patrician class; the peerage; as, the English nobility.
Royalty
A right or prerogative of the crown, as that of receiving a percentage of the proceeds from mines in the royal domain.
Nobility
A privileged class holding hereditary titles
Royalty
The granting of a right by a monarch to a corporation or an individual to exploit specified natural resources.
Nobility
The quality of being exalted in character or ideals or conduct
Royalty
The payment for such a right.
Nobility
The state of being of noble birth
Royalty
A share paid to a writer or composer out of the proceeds resulting from the sale or performance of their work.
Royalty
A share in the proceeds paid to an inventor or proprietor for the right to use their invention or services.
Royalty
A share of the profit or product reserved by the grantor, especially of an oil or mining lease. In this sense also called override.
Royalty
The rank, status, power or authority of a monarch.
Royalty
People of royal rank, plus their families, treated as a group.
Royalty
A royal right or prerogative, such as the exploitation of a natural resource; the granting of such a right; payment received for such a right.
Royalty
The payment received by an owner of real property for exploitation of mineral rights in the property.
Royalty
(by extension) Payment made to a writer, composer, inventor etc for the sale or use of intellectual property, invention etc.
Royalty
(figuratively) Someone in a privileged position.
Royalty
A king and a queen as a starting hand in Texas hold 'em.
Royalty
The bounds of a royal burgh.
Royalty
The state of being royal; the condition or quality of a royal person; kingship; kingly office; sovereignty.
Royalty by birth was the sweetest way of majesty.
Royalty
The person of a king or sovereign; majesty; as, in the presence of royalty.
For thus his royalty doth speak.
Royalty
An emblem of royalty; - usually in the plural, meaning regalia.
Wherefore do I assumeThese royalties, and not refuse to reign?
Royalty
Kingliness; spirit of regal authority.
In his royalty of natureReigns that which would be fear'd.
Royalty
Domain; province; sphere.
Royalty
That which is due to a sovereign, as a seigniorage on gold and silver coined at the mint, metals taken from mines, etc.; the tax exacted in lieu of such share; imperiality.
Royalty
A share of the product or profit (as of a mine, forest, etc.), reserved by the owner for permitting another to use the property.
Royalty
Hence (Com.), a duty paid by a manufacturer to the owner of a patent or a copyright at a certain rate for each article manufactured; or, a percentage paid to the owner of an article by one who hires the use of it.
Royalty
Payment to the holder of a patent or copyright or resource for the right to use their property;
He received royalties on his book
Royalty
Royal persons collectively;
The wedding was attended by royalty
Royalty
Persons who hold the highest rank in a kingdom.
Royalty has the final say in legislative matters.
Royalty
The institution representing a nation's royal family.
The royalty issued a formal announcement.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
