A person who belongs to the nobility by birth or by being granted a title, a historically privileged social class.
example
Ein reicher Adliger aus dem Nachbarreich bat um die Hand der Prinzessin.
A rich nobleman from the neighboring kingdom asked for the princess's hand in marriage.
Usage tips
Word family
The word 'Adliger' (nobleman) belongs to the word family of 'der Adel' (the nobility, the social class) and the adjective 'adlig' (belonging to the nobility). If you know these words, you can easily work out the meaning.
EXAMPLE
Die Familie gehörte dem alten deutschen Adel an.
The family belonged to the old German nobility.
Grammar: declension
'Adliger' (nobleman) is a noun that is declined like an adjective. This means the ending changes depending on the article and case. Pay attention to the form: 'der Adlige' (the nobleman), but 'ein Adliger' (a nobleman).
EXAMPLE
Der König sprach mit einem Adligen aus seinem Hofstaat.
The king spoke with a nobleman from his court.
Historical context
The word 'Adliger' (nobleman) is mainly used in a historical context when talking about the era of monarchies and feudalism, or in fairy tales and historical novels.
EXAMPLE
Im Mittelalter hatten Adlige viele Privilegien.
In the Middle Ages, nobles had many privileges.
Compare with
near_synonym
Adliger vs Edelmann
nobleman
'ein Adliger' and 'der Edelmann' can both mean a man who belongs to the nobility. 'Adliger' is more general and can refer to a person from the nobility, especially when speaking factually about history or society. 'Edelmann' sounds much more historical and mainly means a man from the nobility, often from the lower nobility. In modern texts, 'Adliger' is more neutral. 'Edelmann' fits better in stories, old times, or an elevated style.
Adliger
Im Museum erfährt man, wie ein Adliger früher auf dem Schloss lebte.
At the museum, you learn how a nobleman used to live in the castle.
Edelmann
In dem historischen Roman hilft ein Edelmann den armen Bauern im Dorf.
In the historical novel, a nobleman helps the poor farmers in the village.