arrivisme: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Rare / LiteraryFormal, Literary, Academic, Social Critique
Quick answer
What does “arrivisme” mean?
The behaviour or attitude of a person who is aggressively ambitious and unscrupulously seeks to advance their social or professional position.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The behaviour or attitude of a person who is aggressively ambitious and unscrupulously seeks to advance their social or professional position.
A social phenomenon or individual strategy characterized by a determined, often ruthless, climb to power, status, or recognition, frequently involving the adoption of the manners and values of a higher social class.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Equally rare in both varieties. Slightly more likely to be encountered in British literary or academic contexts discussing class, but the difference is negligible.
Connotations
Identical strong negative connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Very low-frequency word in both AmE and BrE. Most native speakers would not know it.
Grammar
How to Use “arrivisme” in a Sentence
[Subject]'s arrivisme was evident...The novel critiques the arrivisme of...He was accused of sheer arrivisme.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “arrivisme” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- N/A - The word is a noun. The related verb would be 'to arrive' or phrases like 'to engage in arrivisme'.
American English
- N/A - The word is a noun.
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A - The related adjective is 'arriviste'. e.g., 'his arriviste manners'.
American English
- N/A - The related adjective is 'arriviste'.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used. Might appear in critiques of aggressive, unethical corporate culture or 'corporate climbers'.
Academic
Used in sociology, political science, and literary criticism to analyze social mobility and ambition.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
Not a technical term in sciences. It is a term of social/cultural analysis.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “arrivisme”
Strong
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “arrivisme”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “arrivisme”
- Misspelling as 'arivisme' or 'arrivism'.
- Confusing it with 'arrival'.
- Using it in informal contexts where simpler words ('ruthless ambition') are better.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a rare, formal word borrowed from French, used primarily in literary, academic, or high-register social commentary.
Ambition is neutral or positive. Arrivisme is specifically negative, implying a ruthless, opportunistic, and often social-climbing form of ambition.
Yes, a person who engages in arrivisme is called an 'arriviste' (masculine or feminine).
Almost exclusively in writing: in an essay on social mobility, a book review of a novel about class, or a sophisticated article on politics or corporate culture. It is not for everyday conversation.
The behaviour or attitude of a person who is aggressively ambitious and unscrupulously seeks to advance their social or professional position.
Arrivisme is usually formal, literary, academic, social critique in register.
Arrivisme: in British English it is pronounced /ˌærɪˈviːzm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌærɪˈvizm/ /ˌɑːrɪˈvizm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No specific idioms. The word itself is used like a concept.]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: ARRIViste + ISM. An 'arriviste' is a person who has recently 'arrived' in high society. '-isme' turns it into the practice or ideology of such people.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIAL/PROFESSIONAL ADVANCEMENT IS A JOURNEY (with negative connotations of cutting corners). STATUS IS A DESTINATION TO BE REACHED BY ANY MEANS.
Practice
Quiz
What is the core meaning of 'arrivisme'?