1.
former samurai class, gentry
A social class designation established in the early Meiji era for families of former samurai. After the abolition of the feudal class system, samurai families were officially reclassified as shizoku, a status that was maintained in family registers until 1947.
Usage
A historical term from the Meiji period (1868–1912). The Meiji government abolished the feudal class system and reclassified the population as 華族 (peerage/former nobility), 士族 (former samurai), and 平民 (commoners).
The expression 士族の商法 (a samurai's way of doing business) is an idiom describing amateurish business practices by former samurai who had no experience with commerce.