Word discovery: Celebutantes

Citation: Encarta “10 More Words You Simply Must Know” by the editors of Encarta’s Continuing Education section.

Usage: In an example of using the word “paradigm”: The heiress who has become famous for being infamous is the paradigm of celebutantes.

Meaning: According to The Gazette*, “…celebutantes are daughters from rich families who receive media attention for the fortunes they are to inherit and for the escapades they embark on until the money is in their hands.”

*Note: the article I link to includes a photo at the top some may find provocative. Educators and parents may want to visit the page first to make sure they are okay with their students or children viewing the page. The article itself is informative on a current aspect of pop culture.

Examples: Some examples of celebutantes are Paris Hilton, Ally Hilfiger (daughter of Tommy Hilfiger), Margherita Missoni (Italian fashion heir) and Nicole Ritchie (who appeared with Hilton in the Simple Life television program of a few years ago).