Question

Choose the one which best expresses the meaning of-
PARVENU
a- Pretender
b- Privileged
c- Royal
d- Intelligent

Answer 1

Hint: A synonym is a word that is more or less similar in meaning to another word. For example, disgrace is a synonym for humiliate. ‘Parvenu’ refers to someone poor or low class who has acquired wealth and suddenly becomes rich.

Complete answer:
 The word, ‘parvenu’ has been derived from the Latin word- Pervenire, which means come to reach.
We know the meaning and the origin of the word, ‘parvenu’. Now, let’s look at its usage:
For example- Even though the girl married into a well-off family, she was considered a parvenu by his In-laws. Here, we can understand that a girl, X, was considered to be a social climber or privileged by her In-laws.
Let’s examine the given options-
Option a- ‘Pretender’ refers to a person who is an aspirant or a claimer. Example- The cable guy who visited us was just a pretender. ‘Pretender’ is different in meaning from ‘parvenu’. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option b- ‘Privileged’ refers to someone who is getting to enjoy the benefits and entitlement of the privileged classes. Example- All the privileged classes reside in this part of the town. ‘Privileged’ is nearest in meaning to ‘parvenu’. Hence, it is the correct option.
Option c- ‘Royal’ refers to someone who is a member of the royal family. Example- My mother is excited to watch the royal wedding. ‘Royal’ is different in meaning from ‘parvenu’. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option d- ‘Intelligent’ refers to someone who is wise and intellectual. Example- My brother is very intelligent. ‘Intelligent’ is different in meaning from ‘parvenu’. Hence, it is an incorrect option. The correct answer is Option ‘b’.

Note:
Some other synonyms of ‘parvenu’ are; social climber, arriviste, vulgarian, etc. While some antonyms of ‘parvenu’ are; terminal, tasteful, unpretentious, etc.