snobbism
snobbism — noun
1. the attitude or behaviour of someone who believes their own social class, tastes
the attitude or behaviour of someone who believes their own social class, tastes, or education makes them superior to others, and who therefore treats those they consider beneath them with coldness or contempt
Anong recognized the snobbism of the gallery owner, who ignored visitors in ordinary clothes.
verb + snobbism (recognize / tolerate / see through)
The committee showed snobbism by refusing to give the award to a state-school student.
snobbism of + [group]
Constanza could not tolerate the snobbism of guests who only discussed their luxury holidays.
Minho felt the snobbism at work, where colleagues judged each other by their university degrees.
Omar wrote about the snobbism in the city's cultural festivals, which felt unwelcoming to outsiders.
- snobbery
the everyday equivalent; snobbism is more formal and less frequent
- elitism
broader in scope — includes intellectual and cultural superiority, not just social class
- condescension
focuses on the patronizing behaviour or tone, rather than the underlying belief of superiority
- humility
the opposite personal quality of thinking you are no better than others
- egalitarianism
the social belief that all people are equal in status
用法筆記
Much less common than the synonym 'snobbery' in everyday speech. 'Snobbism' appears more often in formal writing and social criticism.