parvenue

British

/ ˈpɑːvəˌnjuː /

noun

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

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.

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

From The Guardian • Oct. 6, 2016

Normcore loathes the flashy, the parvenue, the nouveau riche, and everything else we hold dear.

From Slate • Apr. 8, 2014

Velvet sleeves concealing jewel-encrusted daggers, scheming eunuchs with networks of spies, parvenue commoners outwitting the supercilious aristos and totally, utterly ruthless power plays — what’s not to love?

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2012

The resignation of the charismatic and experienced politician leaves The Left, a hugely successful parvenue among German political parties, with a leadership vacuum.

From New York Times • Jan. 25, 2010

The parvenue enjoyed the humiliations of the daughter of the German C�sars.

From Marie Antoinette and the Downfall of Royalty by Imbert de Saint-Amand, Arthur Léon, baron

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023