Oxbridge

American  

[oks-brij] / ˈɒksˌbrɪdʒ /

noun

1. Oxford or Cambridge University, or both, especially in contrast with the redbrick universities of England.

2. upper-class intellectual life in England, as felt to be under the influence of Oxford and Cambridge universities.

   a bitter attack on Oxbridge by the younger writers.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Oxford and Cambridge, or of upper-class, intellectual traditions or manners associated with these universities.

   a career formerly open only to Oxbridge graduates; to voice the proper Oxbridge sentiments.

Oxbridge British  

/ ˈɒksˌbrɪdʒ /

noun

1. 1. the British universities of Oxford and Cambridge, esp considered as ancient and prestigious academic institutions, bastions of privilege and superiority, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      Oxbridge graduates

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Example Sentences

Virginia Woolf then got into the act, criticizing the BBC Home Service as middlebrow, despite its newsreaders’ plummy Oxbridge accents.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

Despite an undergraduate degree from the London School of Economics, an Oxbridge master’s degree, and professional experience, I couldn’t find a job after sending close to 1,000 applications.

From Slate • Jan. 20, 2026

She worked with younger students as a programs assistant with Oxbridge Academic Programs in New York last summer, said Richard Michaelis, executive director.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025

Oxbridge Home Learning offered qualifications, including GCSE, Btec and A-level courses, with online tutoring.

From BBC • Oct. 13, 2025

“Wish I’d brought a brolly,” she drawled in the plummy, educated tones of the Oxbridge colleges.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein