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nouveau

American  
[noo-voh, noo-voh] / ˈnu voʊ, nuˈvoʊ /

adjective

  1. newly or recently created, developed, or come to prominence.

    The sudden success of the firm created several nouveau millionaires.


nouveau British  
/ ˈnuːvəʊ /

adjective

  1. facetious (prenominal) having recently become the thing specified

    a nouveau hippy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of nouveau

1805–15; < French: new; Old French novel < Latin novellus; see novel 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Unfortunately, Tony Dokoupil, the newly installed anchor of CBS Evening News and the face of the company’s nouveau regime-friendly rebrand, was not so lucky.

From Slate Jan. 6, 2026

After fully renovating their apartment in a 1904 art nouveau building that’s a short walk from the Duomo cathedral, they now split their time between Beverly Hills and Milan, with plenty of travel in between.

From The Wall Street Journal Oct. 4, 2025

Thirty years later, India's flourishing tech-driven economy of start-ups and creators has birthed a nouveau riche that's afforded Soho House exactly another such market opportunity.

From BBC Jul. 19, 2025

In February 2022, Ms. Peterson, an author and art collector, was surrounded by a new clientele: the crypto nouveau riche, who made a temporary home of the art market.

From New York Times May 18, 2024

My lapse in standing was the misfortune of being from the nouveau pauvre side of what passed for an elegant family there in the Pittsburgh of the South.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

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