What does arriviste mean?
An arriviste is a person who has recently risen to wealth, influence, or high social standing, especially one whose ambition is seen as aggressive and whose manners are judged wanting by those already established. The term is invariably disparaging: it implies not merely newness but an unseemly hunger to get ahead, often at the expense of propriety or loyalty. Borrowed from French, where it derives from the verb 'arriver' (to arrive), it literally suggests someone who has 'just arrived' — and the English usage keeps that whiff of the gatecrasher. The word appears frequently in political commentary, social satire, and fiction about class, as in descriptions of courtiers, tycoons, or politicians dismissed as mere careerists. It sits alongside near-synonyms such as 'upstart' and 'parvenu', though it places particular emphasis on ruthless striving rather than on flashy display. Using it well requires recognizing its snobbish edge: calling someone an arriviste says as much about the speaker's own sense of standing as about its target.
nounA person who has recently acquired wealth, status, or power, especially one regarded as pushy or lacking the social refinement associated with their new position.
- A person who has recently attained wealth or high social position and is regarded as ambitious, pushy, or lacking the polish of those long established in that circle.
"The old aristocracy dismissed him as an arriviste with no understanding of their traditions."
"Critics accused the young minister of being an arriviste, more interested in climbing than in governing."
"In the novel's drawing rooms, the arrivistes were easily spotted by their eagerness to name-drop and network."
Standard plural; pronounced identically to the singular except for the final /z/ sound.
"The club's founding members complained that the arrivistes were diluting its traditions."
'Arriviste' comes from the French for 'one who has just arrived' — a word literally built to sneer at newcomers who got there too fast.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of arriviste
Arriviste was borrowed into English from French in the late 19th century, during a period when many French terms of social commentary entered the language. It derives from the French verb 'arriver', meaning 'to arrive', which itself traces back through Old French to the Late Latin 'arripare', literally 'to reach the shore' (ad + ripa). The noun thus originally evoked the image of a newcomer coming ashore. Its Latin root also underlies related words such as 'arrive' and 'arrival'.
How arriviste is actually used
The word is always pejorative or at least faintly mocking; it is used of people, not things. It carries a tone of social snobbery — the speaker typically positions themselves as already established. Common in journalism, literary criticism, and discussions of class and politics.
Easily confused with arriviste
Both describe newly risen people, but 'parvenu' emphasizes vulgar ostentation of new wealth, while 'arriviste' stresses ruthless ambition and the drive to get ahead.