Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A person who has recently attained high position or great power but not general acceptance or respect; an upstart.
  • noun A social climber; a bounder.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun upstart, newcomer, late arrival, nouveau riche, parvenu, generally characterised as an ambitious, brash or arrogant person who has yet to integrate with his or her new social group.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status but has not gained social acceptance of others in that class

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, from arriver, to arrive, from Old French ariver; see arrive.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

French arriviste.

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Examples

  • The supreme need of the arriviste is to be able to disown and forget those who have helped him so far.

    Cruel and Unusual 2008

  • The supreme need of the arriviste is to be able to disown and forget those who have helped him so far.

    Cruel and Unusual 2008

  • There's even a poem about the "arriviste" pronunciation GRIM-iss.

    Go west, young man, WEST! Roger Sutton 2008

  • It must have seemed like a good idea at one time, back in the days when we didn't want any actors, divorced bounders or the kind of arriviste who had to buy his own furniture.

    Sport news, comment and results | guardian.co.uk 2010

  • "In many ways, he is the classical 'arriviste' in the good sense of the word."

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed 2009

  • A local in Westchester County uses the word "arriviste" in a sentence explaining how Richard Gere cut down 200 trees in the neighbourhood without permission.

    Edmonton Sun 2009

  • It might also be said that with the structure he's erected, Lauren is something of an arriviste, but if that were uttered, it would require adding that many of the mansions introduced on those soigné avenues were constructed as well by new money confidently joining the old -- like the Rhinelander mansion that's been Lauren's home-base haberdashery for men and women these last few decades.

    David Finkle: Saturday Shoppers View Ralph Lauren's New Madison Avenue Mansion David Finkle 2010

  • It might also be said that with the structure he's erected, Lauren is something of an arriviste, but if that were uttered, it would require adding that many of the mansions introduced on those soigné avenues were constructed as well by new money confidently joining the old -- like the Rhinelander mansion that's been Lauren's home-base haberdashery for men and women these last few decades.

    David Finkle: Saturday Shoppers View Ralph Lauren's New Madison Avenue Mansion David Finkle 2010

  • It might also be said that with the structure he's erected, Lauren is something of an arriviste, but if that were uttered, it would require adding that many of the mansions introduced on those soigné avenues were constructed as well by new money confidently joining the old -- like the Rhinelander mansion that's been Lauren's home-base haberdashery for men and women these last few decades.

    David Finkle: Saturday Shoppers View Ralph Lauren's New Madison Avenue Mansion David Finkle 2010

  • It might also be said that with the structure he's erected, Lauren is something of an arriviste, but if that were uttered, it would require adding that many of the mansions introduced on those soigné avenues were constructed as well by new money confidently joining the old -- like the Rhinelander mansion that's been Lauren's home-base haberdashery for men and women these last few decades.

    David Finkle: Saturday Shoppers View Ralph Lauren's New Madison Avenue Mansion David Finkle 2010

Comments

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  • I am shocked that most people I have asked don't know this word. Is it that unusual?

    January 28, 2010

  • What's a buffalogirl?

    January 28, 2010

  • Won't she come out tonight?

    January 28, 2010

  • To dance by the light of the moon?

    January 28, 2010

  • American old-time fiddle tune "Buffalo Gals" aside, don't shoot the moon, please.

    January 28, 2010

  • I don't know what a buffalogirl is. But I heard she goes round the outside.

    January 28, 2010

  • My question was rhetorironical.

    January 28, 2010