Eton College
- proper noun
- /ˈiːtən ˈkɒlɪdʒ/
- Literature
:
Eton College
- She joked that the cabinet looked like a reunion from Eton College, full of familiar faces and privilege.
Examples
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Newspapers blamed Eton College for perpetuating an old-boy network that limits social mobility.
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Many members of the British government are alumni of Eton College.
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Many critics argue that Eton College alumni still hold disproportionate influence in national politics today.
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Is it true that Eton College produces many future leaders?
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Many critics argue that Eton College alumni still hold disproportionate influence in national politics today.
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She joked that the cabinet looked like a reunion from Eton College, full of familiar faces and privilege.
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Newspapers blamed Eton College for perpetuating an old-boy network that limits social mobility.
Synonyms
7
6.9
A famous private boys' school in England that educates many leaders
1
6.6
The universities of Oxford and Cambridge that many people see as very old and respected
How Influential
Surface Forms
Morphology
Although the parts 'Eton' (a specific historic school) + 'college' yield the literal institution, the metonymic meaning referring to the British political elite/establishment depends on cultural and sociopolitical knowledge rather than compositional semantics. An average B1 learner who knows the constituent words would not reliably infer this figurative, culture-specific sense, so the expression is opaque.
Etymology
Eton College is often used to mean the British political elite because so many politicians and leaders were pupils there; imagine a room of well-dressed former pupils who all know each other, and that picture explains why people use Eton College to mean 'the country's powerful, connected people'.