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n. A person who has suddenly risen to a higher social and economic class and has not yet gained social acceptance by others in that class. [French, from past participle of parvenir, to arrive, from Latin pervenīre : per, through; see per1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + venīre, to come; see gwā- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] parve·nu′ adj. |
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