Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "arriviste" []

  • A person who has recently attained high position or great power but not general acceptance or respect; an upstart. (noun)
  • A social climber; a bounder. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "arriviste" in a sentence
  • "The supreme need of the arriviste is to be able to disown and forget those who have helped him so far."
  • "There's even a poem about the "arriviste" pronunciation GRIM-iss."
  • "It must have seemed like a good idea at one time, back in the days when we didn't want any actors, divorced bounders or the kind of arriviste who had to buy his own furniture."