The Upper Ten
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The aristocracy, the cream of society. Short for the upper ten thousand. The term was first used by N. P.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Upper Ten” mean?
The aristocracy, the cream of society. Short for the upper ten thousand. The term was first used by N. P.
Is “The Upper Ten” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.