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Parvenu Definition with Synonyms from 601 Words You Need

Parvenu definition with synonyms and antonyms used in real context from the coursebook 601 Words You Need to Know to Pass Your Exam ideal for GRE & SAT candidates. Learn the word parvenu in real context with images.

/ˈpɑː.və.nuː/ (noun)

Parvenu definition

someone from a lower social caste or lower class of society who has become extremely rich or influential all of a sudden and therefore acts weirdly, nouveau riche, arriviste, social climber, pretender, roturier, upstart

Example

A parvenu is a person who is a relative newcomer to a high-ranking socioeconomic class. The word is borrowed from the French language; it is the past participle of the verb parvenir (to reach, to arrive, to manage to do something).

The word parvenu typically describes a person who recently ascended the social ladder, especially a nouveau riche or “new money” individual. The famous Margaret Brown, who survived the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, was portrayed as a “new money” individual, most notably in the “climbing social classes” musical The Unsinkable Molly Brown, because of her impoverished Irish immigrant roots and lack of social pedigree.

Source of example: https://en.wikipedia.org/

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