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
  • 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
Noun
  • Since the start of the fintech industry, upstarts have needed access to consumers’ bank data to perform basic functions like transferring money and making budgeting recommendations.
    Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
  • Investors pumped money into the riskiest assets, lifting money-losing tech upstarts to astronomical valuations.
    Ari Levy, CNBC, 18 July 2025
Noun
  • This water-friendly sneaker has a drop heel that transforms it into a slide, and was built for anglers, boaters, and coastal adventurers who demand both function and comfort.
    Clay Abney, Travel + Leisure, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Summit Saturday will be open for friends, families and solo adventurers on Aug. 16.
    Debra Skodack, Kansas City Star, 6 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Arriviste.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arriviste. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.

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