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Definition of parvenu


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par·ve·nu  audio  (pärv-n, -ny) KEY  

NOUN:
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.

ETYMOLOGY:
French, from past participle of parvenir, to arrive, from Latin pervenre : per, through; see per 1 in Indo-European roots + venre, to come; see gw- in Indo-European roots

OTHER FORMS:
parve·nu (Adjective)


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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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