Are aristocrats and patricians the same?

Aristocrats and patricians are not exactly the same, though they share similarities. Aristocrats generally refer to members of the highest social class in a society, often associated with hereditary titles and privileges. Patricians, specifically, are a term used in ancient Rome to describe the elite class that held political power and social status, typically distinguished from the plebeians. While all patricians can be considered aristocrats, not all aristocrats are patricians, as the term encompasses a broader range of elite classes across different cultures and historical contexts.