Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

parvenu

 - 5 dictionary results

par⋅ve⋅nu

[pahr-vuh-noo, -nyoo, pahr-vuh-noo, -nyoo]
–noun
1. a person who has recently or suddenly acquired wealth, importance, position, or the like, but has not yet developed the conventionally appropriate manners, dress, surroundings, etc.
–adjective
2. being or resembling a parvenu.
3. characteristic of a parvenu.

Origin:
1795–1805; < F: upstart, n. use of ptp. of parvenir to arrive, reach < L pervenīre, equiv. to per- per- + venīre to come


par⋅ve⋅nu⋅dom, noun
par⋅ve⋅nu⋅ism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To parvenu
par·ve·nu   (pär'və-nōō', -nyōō')   
n.  A person who has suddenly risen to a higher social and economic class and has not yet gained social acceptance by others in that class.

[French, from past participle of parvenir, to arrive, from Latin pervenīre : per, through; see per1 in Indo-European roots + venīre, to come; see gwā- in Indo-European roots.]
par've·nu' adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Main Entry:  parvenu
Part of Speech:  adj
Definition:  pertaining to a recent rise in wealth or position
Etymology:  Latin per 'through' + venire 'to come'
Main Entry:  parvenu
Part of Speech:  n
Definition:  a person who has suddenly attained wealth or position but has not yet gained acceptance in the upper class; also, an upstart who has not yet gained the manner associated with this new position
Etymology:  Latin per 'through' + venire 'to come'
Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon
Copyright © 2003-2009 Dictionary.com, LLC
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

parvenu 
"upstart," 1802, from Fr. parvenu, "said of an obscure person who has made a great fortune," noun use of pp. of parvenir "to arrive," from L. pervenire, from per- "through" + venire "to come" (see venue).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Search another word or see parvenu on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: