homme du monde: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2 / LowFormal, Literary
Quick answer
What does “homme du monde” mean?
A man who is sophisticated, refined, and at ease in fashionable society.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A man who is sophisticated, refined, and at ease in fashionable society.
A man possessing worldly knowledge, elegant manners, and social savoir-faire, often from an upper-class or aristocratic background. He is cosmopolitan and adept in social and cultural situations.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Marginally more recognised in British English due to historical French cultural influence and class-based vocabulary. In American English, it is a highly literary or affectation.
Connotations
UK: Often associated with traditional aristocracy, Oxbridge, and the 'season'. US: Connotes European-style sophistication, possibly old money or intellectual circles.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both, but found in 19th/early 20th-century literature and modern descriptive prose about such eras or types.
Grammar
How to Use “homme du monde” in a Sentence
He was considered an {adjective} homme du monde.She married an homme du monde.Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in historical, literary, or cultural studies discussing social types.
Everyday
Extremely rare; would be considered pretentious.
Technical
Not applicable.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “homme du monde”
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “homme du monde”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “homme du monde”
- Pronouncing 'homme' as English 'home'.
- Using it to describe a businessman who travels frequently.
- Using it in plural as 'hommes du mondes' (correct: 'hommes du monde').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a rare, literary, or deliberately old-fashioned term. In everyday conversation, it would sound affected.
No, the phrase is grammatically masculine ('homme' means 'man'). The equivalent for a woman is 'femme du monde'.
An 'homme du monde' implies deeper cultivation, intellect, and a certain discretion, while a 'socialite' can imply someone more focused on being seen at fashionable events.
Yes, as it is a direct, unanglicised French loanphrase, it is conventionally italicised: *homme du monde*.
A man who is sophisticated, refined, and at ease in fashionable society.
Homme du monde is usually formal, literary in register.
Homme du monde: in British English it is pronounced /ˌɒm djuː ˈmɒnd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌɑːm duː ˈmɑːnd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a man saying "OM, du monde!" (like 'ohm' and 'duh mond') while gracefully holding a wine glass at a global party – a man of the (whole) world.
Conceptual Metaphor
WORLDLINESS IS A GEOGRAPHICAL DOMAIN (man of the world), SOPHISTICATION IS A SOCIAL ART.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes an 'homme du monde'?