Pronunciation:‘paa(r)-vu,noo*
Plural: Parvenus
Adjective
- Characteristic of someone who has risen economically or socially but lacks the social skills appropriate for this new position
- Characteristic of parvenu
Noun
A person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status but has not gained social acceptance of others in that class.A person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic status but has not gained social acceptance of others in that class
Usage Example
I came across this word in Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster, a book by Jon Krakeur.
He writes
Traditionalists were offended that the world’s highest summit was being sold to rich parvenus -
* Source: Word Web Dictionary