Definition of nouveau richenext
as in parvenu
one who has recently acquired wealth and social position a nouveau riche who is reportedly using his money to buy his way into Palm Beach society

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of nouveau riche The series is set in late 19th-century London and follows four generations of the Forsytes, who have lived and thrived as members of the nouveau riche for five decades. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 22 Mar. 2026 If the digital nouveau riche have sufficient discretionary income to unseat the coupon-clipping linear-TV gang, all that outsized buying power may not necessarily translate to a full-on tech takeover. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026 The scarcity of yacht berths for Florida’s nouveau riche might be spawning business opportunities, however. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 12 Feb. 2026 Trouble begins brewing with the arrival of their nouveau riche neighbors, Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif), and his ward, Isabella (Alison Oliver). — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nouveau riche
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nouveau riche
Noun
  • Spurrier, who predominantly sold French vintages, wasn’t expecting anything other than a trouncing for the parvenu.
    — Charlie Campbell, Time, 25 May 2026
  • 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
  • How many times during the Nick Saban years did an SEC upstart emerge, then get dismissed by the Tide?
    — Jason Kirk, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Nielsen and a bevy of rival upstarts are all working to find new ways to capture all types of viewing.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • At night, the bed measures in a few square inches shy of a queen at 58 x 76-in (147 x 193-cm), comfortably sleeping two people or a solo adventurer hellbent on escaping everything and everyone.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In 1754, Pennsylvania adventurer Arthur Buchanan bought 200 acres in an Indian village from a Lenape chief.
    — Scott Baldauf, Christian Science Monitor, 17 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Nouveau riche.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nouveau%20riche. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

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