Word
wasp
US/ˈwɑsp/
UK/wˈɒsp/
Definition
n. Stands for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. A person from a wealthy or powerful family who is white, Protestant, and has ancestors from northern Europe. It is often used to describe a specific social class in the United States.
n. Abbreviation for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant. Refers to a social group of white Americans with northern European ancestry and Protestant backgrounds. Often carries connotations of inherited wealth, social privilege, and historical political influence.
Examples
“He grew up in a wealthy WASP family in New England.”
“The novel explores the decline of the traditional WASP elite in American politics during the late twentieth century.”
Examples
simple
“He grew up in a wealthy WASP family in New England.”
contextual
“The novel explores the decline of the traditional WASP elite in American politics during the late twentieth century.”
Usage
Usually written in all capitals as an acronym; can be used as a noun or as a modifier before another noun.
Real-World Examples
“Scientists have long thought an unusual genetic system helped ants, bees, and wasps evolve their extraordinary social colonies.” “Researchers also identified 132 parasitoid wasps collected from 25 locations across South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.” Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/wasp