Monday, May 26, 2008

Word of the Week — May 26-June 2

What's happening everyone? Nothing? Good. Same here.

arriviste • \a-rih-VEEST\ • noun


: one that is a new and uncertain arrival (as in social position or artistic endeavor)


Example Sentence:

The young entrepreneur was viewed as an arriviste in the business community, and many old-timers were leery of his ideas.

Did you know?



An "arriviste" is someone who is just beginning to "arrive," in the sense of achieving success or making a name for oneself. Often the word can have slightly negative connotations, indicating a person who is highly aggressive or perhaps unscrupulous in his or her climb to the top. Like its synonym "parvenu," "arriviste" can also indicate a lack of certainty or confidence in one's newfound position. "Arriviste" is something of a new arrival itself, relatively speaking. English speakers borrowed the term from French in the early 20th century.

Courtesy of Merriam-Webster Online


Yesterday, I was an arriviste in the Standardized Patient community, since it was my first time.

So does arriviste = virgin?

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