mondain

/ mɔ̃dɛ̃ /

noun

1. a man who moves in fashionable society

adjective

1. characteristic of fashionable society; worldly

Word History and Origins

Origin of mondain¹

C19: from French; see mundane

Example Sentences

Instead, he had powerful mentors who had recommended him to Rothschild as a danseur mondain—literally, high-society dancer—who could drum up business.

From Wall Street Journal

Voltaire’s poem “Le Mondain” depicts its author as the owner of fine tapestries and silverware and an ornate carriage, revelling in Europe’s luxurious present and scorning its religious past.

From The New Yorker

Chadd - who mainly breeds the English Carrier, French Mondain and Old German Owl varieties of pigeons - is competing in the pigeon contest at the Washington State Fair.

From Washington Times

In his 'Memorial d'un Mondain' Lamberg refers to Casanova as 'a man known in literature, a man of profound knowledge.'

From Project Gutenberg

Among its defenders were Mandeville, The Fable of the Bees, 1706, who, however, calls everything a luxury which exceeds the baldest necessities of life; Voltaire in Le Mondain, the Apologie du Luxe, and Sur L'Usage de la Vie; Mélon, Essai politique sur le Commerce, ch.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Mondain

What does mondain mean?

A mondain is a person who belongs to a fashionable society.

Relatively rare in English, mondain is a French term describing someone, usually a man, as related to fashionable society, high society, or the aristocracy. Someone might be a mondain because of their sense of style, their tendency to value material objects, their outward displays of wealth, or a variety of other character traits. The feminine form, mondaine, is usually applied to women.

Mondain can also be used to describe something that is characteristic of fashionable society, such as clothing and jewelry, expensive restaurants and shops, or behaviors and attitudes.

Particularly when said using an English pronunciation, mondain and mondaine can sometimes be confused with mundane. In fact, all three terms come from the same Latin term, mundānus, meaning world.

Example: Even the most mondain of boutiques suffered during the economic recession.

Where does mondain come from?

The first records of the term mondain in English come from around the 1830s. It is a French term also meaning “a man who moves in fashionable society.” It comes from the same Latin source (mundānus) as mundane.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to mondain?

• mondaine (feminine noun) 

What are some synonyms for mondain?

• mondaine

What are some words that share a root or word element with mondain? 

• mundane
• mundanity
• mondaine

What are some words that often get used in discussing mondain?

• fashion
• man
• society
• worldly

What are some words mondain may be commonly confused with?

• mondaine
• mundane

How is mondain used in real life?

A rare word, mondain is used to describe someone, usually a man, of high social standing or character. 

Not so much a great #word as a great goal, to be a mondain (mon-DAYN) noun: A sophisticated man; a man belonging to fashionable society. adj: Worldly; fashionable. Yep, that's me a worldly fashionable guy. Ok, #laughter is acceptable. pic.twitter.com/e58rbKBFqS

— Kenneth Weene (@Ken_Weene) March 22, 2018

… MACRON & ROTHSCHILD BANK

As the Wall Street Journal reported, he was recommended as a “danseur mondain,” or high-society dancer, “a very singular person with lots of contacts,” according to one staff member, who could use his connections to get business for the firm."

— Joanna J ⚖ 💫 (@unikgirl11) July 17, 2021

Phillip aspired to be mondain, but his efforts were at best mundane. The denizens of high society groaned whenever he crashed their parties.

— Ed Red (@EdRed140) February 1, 2014

 

 

Try using mondain!

Is mondain used correctly in the following sentence?

“Whenever Oscar puts on his tuxedo, he feels like a real mondain.”