radical chic

American  

[rad-i-kuhl sheek] / ˈræd ɪ kəl ˈʃik /

noun

1. the patronage of extremists or left-wing radicals by rich or famous people, as through invitations to social functions or public expressions of support.

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Other Word Forms

• radical-chic adjective

Etymology

Origin of radical chic

Coined in 1970 by Tom Wolfe (1931–2018), American journalist, in an essay “Radical Chic: That Party at Lenny's”

Example Sentences

In Hollywood these days, radical chic is back in fashion.

From New York Times

But he warned that attitudes among the global population - including those he has in the past called "radical chic environmentalists" - would have to change.

From BBC

There was a feeling that she was frozen in time; that she belonged to a 60s brand of so-called radical chic and that her ideas were outmoded.

From The Guardian

One day she’s noticed by a group of wealthy students who have no idea she’s homeless; they mistake her deep apprehension for radical chic.

From Washington Post

Bernstein’s own commitment to social justice was often mocked, most spikily in Tom Wolfe’s 1970 essay about “radical chic”.

From The Guardian