vieux riche
- noun
- /vjuː ˈriːʃ/
:
viejo rico
- Unlike the flashy newcomers, the vieux riche preferred understated elegance and tradition.
Examples
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The town was dominated by the vieux riche whose families had lived there for centuries.
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She married into a family known among locals as part of the vieux riche.
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The vieux riche often have a distinct sense of entitlement.
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Many vieux riches prefer to invest in traditional assets.
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The town was dominated by the vieux riche whose families had lived there for centuries.
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Unlike the flashy newcomers, the vieux riche preferred understated elegance and tradition.
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She married into a family known among locals as part of the vieux riche.
Antonyms
How Established
- Offensive
1
8.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
vieux + riche
Although the phrase literally combines French 'vieux' (old) + 'riche' (rich) so a learner who knows those words could infer something like 'old/long-established wealthy people', the critical sociocultural contrast with 'nouveau riche' (inherited wealth vs newly rich) is a specialized, discourse-level meaning not fully predictable from the literal parts. Therefore the basic idea is partially transparent but the precise idiomatic nuance would likely require prior exposure.
Etymology
Vieux riche comes from French words: vieux meaning 'old' and riche meaning 'rich'. It creates the image of long-standing family wealth and quiet, grand homes rather than flashy new money, so it means 'people with inherited wealth'.