status symbol

American  

noun

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

---

status symbol British  

noun

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

---

status symbol Idioms  

1. 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]

---

Example Sentences

A viral video claims the $130 Costco executive membership is the new VIP status symbol — but is the rewards program actually worth the price?

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

Not everything needs to be kitsch, dumbed down, or turned into a competitive status symbol, lest anyone take that as another excuse to care even less about the wrong things.

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2026

For some actors, insiders say, demanding more has become a status symbol.

From Barron's • Dec. 22, 2025

It’s a backdrop for $1,000 waterproof jackets with a dinosaur-fossil logo that have become a status symbol for finance bros and streetwear enthusiasts in Shanghai, London and New York.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 6, 2025

For the status-seeker, it was a status symbol.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey