Definition of arrivistenext
as in parvenu
one who has recently acquired wealth and social position the town's old money immediately shunned these vulgar arrivistes, who may have had the cash but certainly not the class

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of arriviste Henry VII was a medieval arriviste, the last man standing after the ruinous Wars of the Roses. Dominic Green, WSJ, 12 Nov. 2022 The underdog pick is Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun), an ingenuous arriviste who, long-limbed and blunder-prone, provides much of the show’s comic relief. Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2021 Three years ago, Gaga got dinged for being an Oscars arriviste; there could have been a hundred people in the room and not enough of them voted for her in Best Actress. Nate Jones, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2021 But every now and then even captains of industry get taken by surprise, and lately they’ve been kept on their toes by a barrage of novel financial vehicles and the arriviste investors driving up their value. Emily Stewart, Town & Country, 3 June 2021 See All Example Sentences for arriviste
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arriviste
Noun
  • Spurrier, who predominantly sold French vintages, wasn’t expecting anything other than a trouncing for the parvenu.
    Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 May 2026
  • 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
Noun
  • More traditional news outlets are growing comfortable with less formal presentations and personalities, part of a gradual coming together of stories news brands and new, digital upstarts who are winning significant slices of attention through newsletters, podcasts and subscription media products.
    Brian Steinberg, Variety, 24 June 2026
  • Time and time again in the history of technology, monopolistic industry leaders that long seemed invincible—from Xerox to IBM to AT&T—have proven vulnerable to agile upstarts and technology advances that broke markets wide open by lowering costs, expanding supply and leapfrogging capabilities.
    Rob Toews, Forbes.com, 22 June 2026
Noun
  • Just like a certain adventurer with some mean, mean pride, Rush are currently embarking on their fiftieth anniversary tour, a prog-rock pilgrimage that will take them around the world and back for the next year.
    Devon Ivie, Vulture, 17 June 2026
  • Whether your dad's an adventurer or casual explorer, this new slip-in style is a shoo-in to make your dad's Father's day — scratch that, his year.
    Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Arriviste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arriviste. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.

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