Define parvenu

French has been generous in providing us with terms for obscure folks who suddenly strike it rich.

Add to word list Add to word list. Synonym arriviste disapproving. Examples of parvenu. From this unpromising start, the story apparently went, the young parvenu founded a great people. From the Cambridge English Corpus. Later clearly after the ascent of the parvenu , the sages continue, many forms of death and suffering will descend on the kingdom. My noble friend who sits below me, and leads me, is a parvenu compared with me and others of us.

Define parvenu

Translation of parvenu — French—English dictionary. Add to word list Add to word list. I refuse to invite that upstart to my place. Synonym arriviste. Browse parure. Read More. March 11, To top. Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content:. Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge. Tools to create your own word lists and quizzes.

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A parvenu is a person who is a relative newcomer to a high-ranking socioeconomic class. The word is borrowed from the French language ; it is the past participle of the verb parvenir to reach, to arrive, to manage to do something. The word parvenu typically describes a person who recently ascended the social ladder , especially a nouveau riche or "new money" individual. The famous Margaret Brown , who survived the sinking of the Titanic in , was portrayed as a "new money" individual, most notably in the "climbing social classes" musical The Unsinkable Molly Brown , because of her impoverished Irish immigrant roots and lack of social pedigree. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a parvenu as: "A person from a humble background who has rapidly gained wealth or an influential social position; a nouveau riche; an upstart, a social climber. Also in extended use. Generally used with the implication that the person concerned is unsuited to the new social position, esp.

A person who has suddenly risen to a higher social and economic class and has not yet gained social acceptance by others in that class. All rights reserved. Copyright , , by Random House, Inc. Switch to new thesaurus. Based on WordNet 3.

Define parvenu

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There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the word parvenu.

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