socialite

American  

[soh-shuh-lahyt] / ˈsoʊ ʃəˌlaɪt /

noun

1. a socially prominent person.

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socialite British  

/ ˈsəʊʃəˌlaɪt /

noun

1. a person who is or seeks to be prominent in fashionable society

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Etymology

Origin of socialite

First recorded in 1925–30; social + -ite ¹

Example Sentences

A strange group, to say the least, but it was a known fact that tortoises were the socialites of the woods.

From Literature

After her death, the socialite’s three children issued a statement praising her many talents, describing her as a “force.”

From MarketWatch

Chastain stars as Jennifer McCarthy, a wealthy San Francisco philanthropist and socialite who runs a foundation that supports a ballet school in Mexico City.

From Los Angeles Times

And yet, whether socialite spy or glasses-wearing econometrician, both were drawn from the Ivy League and a handful of other acceptable schools, thereby maintaining a largely closed circle.

From The Wall Street Journal

She portrayed a spoiled socialite turned impoverished rural motel manager in “Schitt’s Creek.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• debutante