nouveau riche

noun

nou·​veau riche ˌnü-ˌvō-ˈrēsh How to pronounce nouveau riche (audio)
plural nouveaux riches ˌnü-ˌvō-ˈrēsh How to pronounce nouveau riche (audio)
: a person newly rich : parvenu

Examples of nouveau riche in a Sentence

a nouveau riche who is reportedly using his money to buy his way into Palm Beach society
Recent Examples on the Web The central question of whether love can conquer money is almost outshone by the film’s dazzling surroundings and Rachel’s nouveau riche friends, played perfectly by Awkwafina and Ken Jeong. Vogue, 10 Sep. 2024 The unspoken rule, now very much spoken, was created by the old money elite, hoping to elevate themselves above the nouveau riche, or newly wealthy. Jordan Green, The Arizona Republic, 3 Sep. 2024 The show never quite nails Hiaasen’s satirical edge, his very specific perspective on Florida’s grifters and interlopers, settling for soft mockery of corrupt institutions and the nouveau riche. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Aug. 2024 But do those same rules apply to the newly wealthy, especially a nouveau riche couple who is also Black? Kathleen Newman-Bremang, refinery29.com, 22 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for nouveau riche 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nouveau riche.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, literally, "newly rich"

First Known Use

circa 1796, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nouveau riche was circa 1796

Dictionary Entries Near nouveau riche

Cite this Entry

“Nouveau riche.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nouveau%20riche. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!