Meaning & use
status symbol
Last updated
UK/ˈsteɪtəs ˌsɪmbl/
US/ˈsteɪtəs ˌsɪmbl/
Meaning
nouncountable
A possession that shows others that its owner is rich, successful or important.
Grammar: Usually countable: a luxury car is a status symbol.
Patterns
- a status symbol for someone
- a status symbol of something
For many people, a big house is a status symbol.
In the 1980s, the car phone was a status symbol.
She said her watch was a gift, not a status symbol.
Word forms
| plural | status symbols |
|---|
Common combinations
- become a status symbol
- The handbag has become a status symbol.
- luxury status symbol
- A yacht is the ultimate luxury status symbol.
- as a status symbol
- He bought the car as a status symbol.
- a status symbol of wealth
- Gold jewelry is a status symbol of wealth.
- seen as a status symbol
- Large televisions were once seen as a status symbol.
Synonyms and how they differ
- luxury
- A luxury is something expensive and enjoyable, but it is not necessarily bought to impress others, as a status symbol is.
- trophy
- A trophy is a prized possession shown off, usually with less focus on money.
- badge of honor
- A badge of honor stands for something earned through effort, while a status symbol is often just bought.
Word family
Commonly confused: status symbol or statute?
status symbol vs statute
A statute is a written law; it is unrelated to a status symbol.
Practice
Which is most likely to be called a status symbol?
Choose one answer.
A status symbol is an object that signals wealth or importance, and a designer watch worn to impress does that. The other items are ordinary and not used to display rank.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “status symbol”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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