士族

shìzú
land-owning class, esp. during Wei, Jin and North-South dynasties 魏晋南北朝 Wèi Jìn Nán Běi Cháo

CEDICT

  1. (historical) powerful aristocratic clan
  2. powerful aristocratic clan

Wiktionary

南北朝重门阀，缙绅之家，自成一特殊阶级，以别于庶民，称为「士族」。在政治、经济各方面皆享有特权。

重編國語辭典

Entry Composition

1 士 shì
  1. member of the senior ministerial class (old)
  2. scholar (old)
  3. bachelor
  4. honorific
  5. soldier
  6. noncommissioned officer
  7. specialist worker
2 族 zú
  1. race
  2. nationality
  3. ethnicity
  4. clan
  5. by extension, social group (e.g. office workers 上班族)