as in arriviste
one who has recently acquired wealth and social position
the kind of trophy house that a parvenu buys to prove to people, and to himself, that he has indeed arrived
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of parvenu
In 1952, backed by little more than his reputation as a war hero and a fortune staked by his parvenu father, 35-year-old John F. Kennedy swiped a Senate seat from Republican Henry Cabot Lodge, himself a wealthy combat veteran.
—
Kevin Mahnken, The New Republic, 1 Sep. 2020
Raveendran, at least on paper, assumes his place among those parvenus thanks to his effort in internet education.
—Saritha Rai, Fortune, 29 July 2019
Raveendran, at least on paper, assumes his place among those parvenus thanks to his effort in internet education.
—Saritha Rai, Fortune, 29 July 2019
Well, rejecting the pretensions of the peacocking parvenu is one of the sweetest pleasures left to the fallen aristocrat.
—Lili Anolik, Vanities, 19 June 2017
Well, rejecting the pretensions of the peacocking parvenu is one of the sweetest pleasures left to the fallen aristocrat.
—Lili Anolik, Vanities, 19 June 2017
Well, rejecting the pretensions of the peacocking parvenu is one of the sweetest pleasures left to the fallen aristocrat.
—Lili Anolik, Vanities, 19 June 2017
Well, rejecting the pretensions of the peacocking parvenu is one of the sweetest pleasures left to the fallen aristocrat.
—Lili Anolik, Vanities, 19 June 2017
Well, rejecting the pretensions of the peacocking parvenu is one of the sweetest pleasures left to the fallen aristocrat.
—Lili Anolik, Vanities, 19 June 2017
Kevin Mahnken, The New Republic, 1 Sep. 2020
Raveendran, at least on paper, assumes his place among those parvenus thanks to his effort in internet education.
—Saritha Rai, Fortune, 29 July 2019
Raveendran, at least on paper, assumes his place among those parvenus thanks to his effort in internet education.
—Saritha Rai, Fortune, 29 July 2019
Well, rejecting the pretensions of the peacocking parvenu is one of the sweetest pleasures left to the fallen aristocrat.
—Lili Anolik, Vanities, 19 June 2017
Well, rejecting the pretensions of the peacocking parvenu is one of the sweetest pleasures left to the fallen aristocrat.
—Lili Anolik, Vanities, 19 June 2017
Well, rejecting the pretensions of the peacocking parvenu is one of the sweetest pleasures left to the fallen aristocrat.
—Lili Anolik, Vanities, 19 June 2017
Well, rejecting the pretensions of the peacocking parvenu is one of the sweetest pleasures left to the fallen aristocrat.
—Lili Anolik, Vanities, 19 June 2017
Well, rejecting the pretensions of the peacocking parvenu is one of the sweetest pleasures left to the fallen aristocrat.
—Lili Anolik, Vanities, 19 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for parvenu
Noun
-
Where’s our charming arriviste?—
Jason Gay,
WSJ,
21 Dec. 2020
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Compared with some of her peers, she was initially seen as an arriviste.—
Caitlin Moscatello,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2023
Noun
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Although the commercial electric vehicle market grows more consolidated, there is still a chance for such upstarts; by focusing on specific niches and their unique strengths, these companies have a chance to capture still-available market share.—
Earl Carr,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
-
In the seventies and eighties, the local upstart Bruce Springsteen was a regular patron and occasional performer at the Stone Pony.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
Noun
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It was remodeled by its subsequent owners—the brothers who owned the F. W. Woolworth Company—in the style of Versailles, an over-the-top gesture that from a twenty-first-century vantage point looks quintessentially nouveau riche, and quintessentially New Jersey.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
11 June 2025
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With more romance, shifting power dynamics between the old guard and the nouveau riche and plenty of dramatic twists, there’s a lot to look forward to on Sunday nights this summer.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Noun
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Featuring journalist and adventurer Kinga Philipps, the episode showcases some gorgeous and serene dives with tiger sharks and hammerheads.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
20 July 2025
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Wednesday, July 23 8 p.m. ET: Expedition Unknown: Shark Files - Global adventurer Josh Gates solves some of the strangest and most disturbing shark mysteries of all-time, including the real-life bloody inspiration for the movie Jaws.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Parvenu.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/parvenu. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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