What does snobbism mean?
Snobbism is the habitual or systemic attitude of judging people by social rank, wealth, education, taste, or other status markers, and of regarding those below oneself as inferior. It can describe a person's attitude, a social practice, or the broader tendency to elevate personal preferences into signs of superior character or culture. The term is usually disapproving and is commonly used in discussions of class prejudice, cultural exclusion, elitism, and condescending behavior toward others. In ordinary conversation, it may suggest that someone is condescending rather than simply eccentric or unusually knowledgeable about wine, food, literature, or fashion. Snobbism is useful because it names a specific social mechanism in which status anxiety becomes judgment of other people. It also explains why harmless preferences can become socially divisive. Although the word is countable, it is usually used as an uncountable noun, making it more useful for discussing a pattern of behavior than for naming individual instances.
nounSnobbism is the habit or attitude of judging people by social rank, wealth, education, taste, or other markers of status, and of treating those judged as inferior with contempt or condescension. It can also refer more broadly to pretentiousness based on claims to superior taste or culture.
- The habit or attitude of judging people by social or cultural status and regarding those judged as inferior with contempt or condescension.
"Her snobbism turned an ordinary dinner invitation into a test of cultural pedigree."
"Her snobbism turned an ordinary dinner invitation into a test of cultural pedigree."
"The club abandoned its snobbism and welcomed newcomers regardless of background."
The plural is uncommon and is used mainly when referring to distinct examples or forms of snobbism.
"The essay distinguishes several forms of snobbism found in professional cultural institutions."
Snobbism can turn a preference for vintage wine into a moral hierarchy of people.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does snobbism come from?
Snobbism is an English formation built from snob and the suffix -ism, a productive suffix used to name an attitude, practice, or doctrine; the suffix ultimately comes from Greek -ismos. The earlier origin of snob is uncertain, although the word was used by the late eighteenth century for a person supposedly of low social standing and later for a pretentious social climber. Because the precise ancestry of snob is unclear, no secure classical cognates can be identified; snobbism developed from its social meanings to denote status-conscious disdain or snobbery.
Related word forms
How snobbism is actually used
The word is generally disapproving. It may describe an individual's attitude, a group's conduct, or a broader social practice involving status, class, taste, or cultural exclusion. Although countable, it is normally used as an uncountable noun, and its plural is uncommon.
Easily confused with snobbism
Snobbism names the broader habit or doctrine of status-based contempt, whereas snobbery refers more specifically to snobbish behavior or instances of it.