white-shoe

adjective

ˈ(h)wīt-ˈshü 

: of, associated with, or characteristic of the privileged moneyed upper class : upper-crust

a white-shoe law firm

Examples of white-shoe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Jim Woolery was a dealmaker at the white-shoe law firm Cravath before leaving to run M&A at JPMorgan. — Ellen Dimauro, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

On first encounter, Humphreys seems an unlikely choice to take on topflight white-shoe defense firms hired by the United States' most profitable news channel. — David Folkenflik, NPR, 4 Oct. 2026

After the setback, Nevada retained new counsel from the white-shoe firm Mayer Brown, including lawyers who have argued dozens of cases at the Supreme Court. — Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026

Banks maintained long-standing relationships with corporate clients; white-shoe law firms didn’t compete for business; hostile takeovers and the like were regarded as somewhat unsavory. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 15 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for white-shoe

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou