snobbery

UK: /ˈsnɒbəri/ US: (snob′ə rē)

Inflections of 'snobbery' (n): npl: snobberies

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

snob•ber•y  (snob′ə rē), n., pl. -ber•ies. 

1. snobbish character, conduct, trait, or act.

• snob + -ery 1825–35

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

snob /snɑb/   n. [countable]

1. one who tries to act like those higher in social rank or who admires such people too much and scorns others.
2. one who believes himself or herself to have superior tastes and is scornful of those with different tastes:
   an intellectual snob.

snob•ber•y, snob•bish•ness, n. [uncountable]
snob•bish, adj. 
snob•by, adj., -bi•er, -bi•est. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

snob  (snob), n. 

1. a person who imitates, cultivates, or slavishly admires social superiors and is condescending or overbearing to others.
2. a person who believes himself or herself an expert or connoisseur in a given field and is condescending toward or disdainful of those who hold other opinions or have different tastes regarding this field:
   a musical snob.

• 1775–85; origin, originally uncert; first used as a nickname for a cobbler or cobbler's apprentice, hence a townsman, someone of low class or lacking good breeding, commoner, hence someone who imitates persons of higher rank