status symbol

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noun

an object, habit, etc., by which the social or economic status of the possessor may be judged.

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Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Words nearby status symbol

status bar, status epilepticus, status group, status Indian, status quo, status symbol, status zero, statutable, statute, statute book, statute law

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use status symbol in a sentence

Now that offices are reopening, remote work is becoming a status symbol again—but this time for the employees with the greatest bargaining power.
Remote Work is Now a Status Symbol. Here's How To Make a Workplace That Works for Everyone.|Adam Galinsky|August 10, 2021|Time
In fact, the wealthy shunned the outdoors and natural light in an effort to keep their skin pale — a status symbol separating them from the poor who toiled in the fields.
Real Estate Trends in Surprising Areas|Tracy Moran|May 6, 2021|Ozy
Shoppers have reciprocated, buying up Nike products and elevating its Jordan sneakers to status symbols.
Is Nike too cool to suffer in China?|Marc Bain|March 29, 2021|Quartz
The assets have become a sort of Internet-savvy status symbol and are attracting a certain brand of techie celebrity.
What is an NFT, and how did an artist called Beeple sell one for $69 million at Christie’s?|Hannah Denham, Gerrit De Vynck, Rachel Lerman|March 12, 2021|Washington Post

So mimicking funeral practices used for royalty may have been a status symbol.
Unusual mud shell covers an Egyptian mummy|Maria Temming|February 26, 2021|Science News For Students
With the Apple Watch, it is plunging into a market where the main product is—and almost always has been—a fashion-y status symbol.
Will Apple Take Down the Luxury Watch Industry?|Daniel Gross|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Like blood ivory, some see it as a status symbol due to its perceived prestige and ballooned financial value.
China Is Brewing Wine From Tiger Bones|Brendon Hong|July 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the Middle East, a cheetah riding shotgun in the plush leather seat of a luxury sports car is the ultimate status symbol.
The $10 Billion Pet Cheetah and Chimp Industry|Sharon Adarlo|July 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Iris (name has been changed) has become one such “status symbol.”
Inside China’s Mistress-Industrial Complex|Junheng Li, Bethany Allen, Ana Swanson|February 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A tapestry like this was the ultimate luxury good and status symbol, worth so much more than a measly painting.
Unicorn, the Luxury Meat|Blake Gopnik|July 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Automobiles were owned by the government only, and bicycles, a status symbol, were available to only a few.
Area Handbook for Albania|Eugene K. Keefe

British Dictionary definitions for status symbol

status symbol

noun

a possession which is regarded as proof of the owner's social position, wealth, prestige, etc

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with status symbol

status symbol

A position or activity that allows one's social prestige to be displayed, as in She doesn't even drive; that car of hers is purely a status symbol. [Mid-1900s]