reverse snobbery

[ri-vurs snahb-uh-ree]

noun

1. the denigration or shunning of people with higher ability, education, or social status, or of their tastes, work, etc., as an expression of sympathy or solidarity with people perceived as average or unprivileged.

Example Sentences

“He didn’t feel it was dignified. I am well aware that this is a form of reverse snobbery.”

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But a certain reverse snobbery attaches itself to salad cream.

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“I think there’s such a reverse snobbery about intellectuals that I think it would almost be seen as a badge of honor. I think that’s really concerning.”

Read more on Washington Times

Reverse snobbery, unlike the traditional kind, is a tribute to democracy—it's egalitarianism overshooting the mark.

Read more on Slate

But when you're faking it, if you're not careful, reverse snobbery can look a lot like the traditional kind.

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