high society

American  

noun

1. society.

---

high society British  

noun

1. 1. the upper classes, esp when fashionable

   2. ( as modifier )

      her high-society image

---

Etymology

Origin of high society

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

The 70-room mansion dates back to 1895, when it was built for business magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt II, who was one of the most prominent members of high society during that era.

From MarketWatch

Instead, they represented German high society, possessing “titles and jewels and impeccable contacts,” he writes.

From The Wall Street Journal

Those lines are straight from a new translation of Leo Tolstoy's epic novel War & Peace, set in the world of Russian high society in the early 19th century.

From BBC

Thanks to TV, we can live vicariously through period dramas where people had staff to prepare their dinner and wash the dishes afterward, a perk of being born into high society.

From Salon

The two men were products of European high society who were nonetheless very different.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• jet set