high society
B2Formal, journalistic, literary
Definition
Meaning
The upper class of society, especially people of high social status and wealth who are prominent in social activities.
The social world or activities of wealthy, aristocratic, or prominent people, often characterized by exclusive events, glamour, and media attention.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Refers to a social group rather than a place. Often implies a world of privilege, luxury, and social exclusivity. Can be used neutrally, admiringly, or with critical/satirical undertones.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both varieties use the term identically. UK usage might historically associate it more strongly with aristocracy and titled families, while US usage may associate it more with new money, celebrity, and business elites.
Connotations
In both, can carry connotations of glamour, exclusivity, superficiality, or snobbery depending on context.
Frequency
Comparably frequent in both varieties. Common in gossip columns, society pages, and historical/cultural commentary.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
be part of high societymove in high society circlesa high society eventhigh society gossipVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A-list event (related)”
- “Who's Who (related)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in contexts like luxury marketing (e.g., 'targeting high society consumers').
Academic
Used in sociology, history, and cultural studies to discuss class structures and social elites.
Everyday
Used when discussing celebrities, wealthy people, or exclusive social events in a descriptive or gossipy manner.
Technical
Not a technical term; used descriptively.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- N/A - not a verb
American English
- N/A - not a verb
adverb
British English
- N/A - not an adverb
American English
- N/A - not an adverb
adjective
British English
- She wore a stunning gown to the high-society gala.
- The newspaper's high-society columnist reported on the event.
American English
- It was the high-society wedding of the year.
- They lived a high-society lifestyle in Manhattan.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- They are rich and famous. They are in high society.
- The magazine writes about parties for high society.
- As a successful entrepreneur, he was gradually accepted into high society.
- The novelist's work offers a scathing critique of the hypocrisy and idleness of fin de siècle high society.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'high' as in high status or high class, and 'society' as in the social world. Picture a very tall, exclusive skyscraper where only the richest people have apartments – that's 'high society'.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIETY IS A HIERARCHY (High = superior status). SOCIETY IS A CONTAINER (Being 'in' high society).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'высокое общество' as it sounds unnatural. Use 'высший свет' or 'бомонд'. 'Высшее общество' is possible but less idiomatic than 'высший свет'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as an adjective directly before a noun without a hyphen (e.g., 'a high society party' is correct; 'a highsociety party' is incorrect). Confusing it with 'high community'.
Practice
Quiz
What is the most typical context for the term 'high society'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral-to-formal. It's commonly used in journalism and literature but can sound slightly old-fashioned or ironic in casual speech.
No, by definition it refers to the uppermost social and economic class. The middle class is distinct from high society.
While they overlap, 'high society' emphasizes inherited or longstanding social status and wealth, whereas 'celebrity' focuses on fame, which can come from various fields (sports, acting) without implying aristocratic background.
When used as a compound noun, it is typically written without a hyphen: 'high society'. When used attributively (before a noun), it is often hyphenated: 'a high-society scandal'.
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