Signiors

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Members of the governing council in certain Italian city-states, particularly Venice; lords or nobles who hold political power and influence; patrician rulers or aristocrats in a historical or feudal context
2. Aristocratic or noble figures who serve as leaders within a city-state's administration; influential landowners or rulers holding authority in medieval or Renaissance Italy; elite members of the societal hierarchy with governing responsibilities
3. Individuals possessing high social rank and political authority in specific Italian republics; ruling nobles or magistrates overseeing civic matters; prominent lords or dignitaries involved in governance during historical periods

Etymology: "Signiors" is the plural of "signior," a term that English borrowed from Italian "signore" to describe the ruling nobles and magistrates of certain Italian city-states. The singular "signior" carries the same meaning, and the plural simply names a group of such men, such as the governing council of a republic like Venice or Genoa. The word traces back to Latin "senior," meaning "older" or "elder," the same root that gives English "senior" and "senate." Italian "signore," from the Latin "senior" by way of "seniorem," came to mean "lord" or "master," so the idea of rank began with age and experience before it became a title of authority. English adopted the Italian form in the Renaissance, when writers described the powerful families of Venice and similar republics.

Synonyms: lords, gentlemen, nobles, masters, sirs

Antonyms: commoners, peasants, servants, subjects, plebeians