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Synonyms

parvenue

British  
/ ˈpɑːvəˌnjuː /

noun

  1. a woman who, having risen socially or economically, is considered to be an upstart or to lack the appropriate refinement for her new position

"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

adjective

  1. of or characteristic of a parvenue

"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 parvenue

C19: see parvenu

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.

Even her underpants, she found — the kind of white cotton briefs her aunt and grandmother wore — marked her as a parvenue.

From New York Times

On the other, Kim got away lightly in the parvenue stakes.

From The Guardian

He could see Olive's face flush under the selfish rudeness of the parvenue, but the girl, repressing her impulse to reply heatedly, remained silent.

From Project Gutenberg

Incessantly occupied with the ambition to appear a true aristocrat, in whom one could not perceive the parvenue, she had no room for other thoughts.

From Project Gutenberg

The first generation makes the millions, the second generation is parvenue, the third is arrivée.

From Project Gutenberg