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

When a high number of people admire a luxury company, even if they can’t afford to own its goods, it cements its value as a status symbol.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

Maybe the youths’ next analog status symbol could be a cathode-ray tube.

From Slate • May 3, 2026

Then picture adding sugar cane soles, calling them eco-friendly sneakers, becoming a Silicon Valley status symbol, and going public in 2021 with a market value that briefly topped $4 billion.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

My car wasn't a top-of-the range status symbol.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

Many white slaveholders, especially in Virginia’s upper-class homes, considered mixed-race people a sort of status symbol, just as some people today think of a flashy car or an expensive new smartphone.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis