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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Nobilité, n. Also: -itee, -itie, -yté, -ietie, -etie, -ety, nobillit(t)e, -itie, -ity(e, -ietie, -etie, nobielietie, nobylyty, nobyl(l)attie; nobelite, -etie, ietie; nobiltee, -tie; nobleté, noblietie. [ME. (Trevisa) and e.m.E. nobylyte, nobilite(e, OF. nobilité (11th c.), nobilté, nobleté.]

1. a. Noble rank or the qualities befitting this; nobleness or dignity of character, pre-eminent worth or virtue.(a) c1400 Troy-bk. ii. 1101 (C).
As virgyne of such nobilite 1461 Liber Plusc. I. 382.
Floure of nobilite c1460 Regim. Princ. 96.
Nobilitie suide mel bot with nobilnes a1500 Colk. Sow Prol. 8.
With namit folkis of he nobilite c1490 Porteous Noblenes 172/18.
Thar is xij wertuis behuffull and that schawis werray nobilite 1549 Compl. 147/14.
Tha var degradit fra there nobilite ande fra there gentreis 1560 Rolland Seven S. 6416. 1567 Reg. Privy C. I. 567.
And utheris lordis of nobilitie 1596 Dalr. I. 96/19.
Of this cumis thair pryd … and bosting of thair nobilitie Ib. II. 163/16, 17.
Althoch the Duke shewe in this distributione his gret liberalitie and nobilitie of his harte and his gud wil to mitigat the myndes of the nobilitie 1626 Garden Worthies 117.
Thow grave, good knight … That nothing bot nobilitie did breath(b) c1420 Ratis R. 1584.
That kind has lent To sum lynage ay nobiltee And worschip and prosperyte c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxi. 26.
All gentrice and nobiltie Ar passit out of he degre(c) 1546–7 Reg. Privy C. I. 63.
We humilie beseik your grace and noble lordschippis for your princelie honour and nobeliteis to [etc.] a1578 Pitsc. I. 94/13.
To do nothing that was degenerat fre the nobelietie of his forbearis

b. As an honorific mode of address. — 1513 Doug. Direct. 78.
No thing is myne … Gyf it afferis for ȝowr nobilyte 1560 St. A. Kirk S. I. 37.
Besiekand your nobilitie and wysedomes … to pronunce … me to be divorced

c. Of things: Noble quality, dignity, excellence, renown. ?1438 Alex. ii. 4245.
[Caneus said] Ane word of great nobillite [F. une parole de grant nobilité ] a1500 Seven S. 408.
Our all vther thing lufit he Of armes gret nobilite 1490 Irland Mir. I. 57/24.
The erd and erdlie thingis God has put lawast, as lest of nobilite 1513 Doug. i. Prol. 324.
Full of nobilite is thistory all haill 1596 Dalr. I. 138/16.
And decoret the place quhair the feild was strukne with the nobilitie of the victorie

2. The nobles of a country, etc., collectively; the nobility or peerage.Chiefly with def. art. or possess., and rare before c 1560. 1490 Irland Mir. I. 10/4.
The gret nobilite of Troy as Pryame, Hector [etc.] 1562-3 Winȝet I. 10/3.
Noble potent lordis, baronis and vtheris quhatsumeuir of the nobilitie of Scotland Ib. II. 12/20.
Certane of the vnleirnit nobilitie 1558-66 Knox II. 411.
And so the haill nobylattie absolved Johne Knox 1565 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. xlvii. 1566 Argyll Fam. Lett. 5.
And not of the gretast of oure nobilitie 1568 Lyndesay Pref. (S.T.S.) 402.
He hes not spairit King … nobilitie nor vtheris of inferiour estait 1568 Hosack Mary Q. of Scots I. 544.
Nobiletie 1570–2 Facs. Nat. MSS. III. lxii.
Nobillitye 1572 Cal. Sc. P. IV. 356.
Nobylyty 1572-5 Diurn. Occurr. 233.
The lordis of the nobilitie a1578 Pitsc. I. 289/11.
All the haill nobelietie batht sperituall and temporall Ib. II. 106/12.
Aganis money of the nobilietieis will Ib. I. 8/9.
Nobillitie Ib. 23/10.
Nobillietie Ib. 132/20.
Noblietie Ib. 366/3.
Nobielietie 1603 Moysie 35.
Nobilety, nobeletie Ib. 128.
Nobiletie c1590 Fowler II. 100/7.
Noblete 1596 Dalr. I. 105 marg.
Thrie ordouris of therealme, ecclesiastik, nobilitie and the laik sorte 1604 Conv. Burghs II. 182.
Nobillitte c1615 Chron. Kings 167.
Subscrywit be ane grit meangȝie of the nobillity 1647 Misc. Spald. C. I. 55.
Be the nobilite of Angus 16.. Gordon in Macfarlane's Geog. Coll. II. 393.
The inferior nobilitie