preppy

American  

[prep-ee] / ˈprɛp i /

Or preppie

noun

plural

preppies

1. a person who is a student at or a graduate of a preparatory school.

2. a person who favors or is viewed as favoring clothing style or behavior associated with traditional preparatory schools.

---

adjective

preppier, preppiest

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of preparatory schools or their students.

2. of, pertaining to, characteristic of, or being a style in dress or mode of behavior of a preppy.

preppy British  

/ ˈprɛpɪ /

adjective

1. characteristic of or denoting a fashion style of neat, understated, and often expensive clothes; young but classic: suggesting that the wearer is well off, upper class, and conservative

---

noun

1. a person exhibiting such style

Etymology

Origin of preppy

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; prep + -y ¹, -y ²

Explanation

Someone who's preppy either attended an expensive, private high school and an Ivy League college — or just dresses that way. The informal preppy comes from "college preparatory school," its shortened form, "prep school," and the resulting noun prep, used to describe graduates of these elite high schools. You can substitute preppy as a noun, too: "The campus is full of preppies — maybe I'll go to art school instead." Preppy style includes dressing in polo shirts, khaki pants, and boat shoes, or looking like you just finished playing tennis or riding a horse.

Example Sentences

“I viewed the brand for preppy styles geared to an older generation,” said Lavinia Gabriele, a 26-year-old New Yorker, who works in retail.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 22, 2025

For those who are interested, the collection looks like a preppy, a jock and a member of the “Duck Dynasty” cast got together and brainstormed.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 27, 2025

The show formerly starred singer Reneé Rapp, who played the preppy mean girl with a heartwarming coming-out arc, but since Rapp’s departure, the half-hour comedy has fully leaned into the show’s absurdity.

From Salon • Jan. 19, 2025

In 1987, David Letterman was taping his late-night show in Las Vegas before rowdy audiences of mostly young men in preppy pullovers and muscle shirts — prototypical bros raised on “Porky’s.”

From New York Times • Jun. 19, 2024

The boys were neatly dressed in snow-white shirts, blazers with badges, preppy caps with badges, ties matching the badges, shiny black and brown shoes, worsted knee-high socks.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Related Words

• Waspy