Veblen

American  

[veb-luhn] / ˈvɛb lən /

noun

1. Oswald, 1880–1960, U.S. mathematician.

2. Thorstein 1857–1929, U.S. economist and sociologist.

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Veblen British  

/ ˈvɛblən /

noun

1. Thorstein (ˈθɔːstɪn). 1857–1929, US economist and social scientist, noted for his analysis of social and economic institutions. His works include The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899) and The Theory of Business Enterprise (1904)

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Example Sentences

In 1976, Simons received the American Mathematical Society’s Oswald Veblen Prize in Geometry for research that would prove to be influential to string theory and other areas of physics.

From Seattle Times • May 10, 2024

In economics, Veblen goods are things you buy not for their intrinsic worth but to display how much disposable income you have.

From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2023

The world is somewhat different now from how it was when Thorstein Veblen wrote “The Theory of the Leisure Class” in 1899, and even from when Vance Packard wrote “The Status Seekers” in 1959.

From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2023

But they don't control the most important variable determining the fate of these forests: "The earlier we start dealing with the root problem, climate change, the better chance we have," Veblen said.

From Salon • Dec. 1, 2021

But what Veblen could not have foreseen is where some of that pressure is coming from, says Juliet B. Schor, a professor of sociology at Boston College who has written widely on consumer culture.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times