Babbitt
/ˈbæbɪt/noun
A conformist, materialistic person, especially one who is smugly conventional and self-satisfied.
Did you know?The word was popularized by Sinclair Lewis’s 1922 novel *Babbitt*, whose title character turned a surname into a lasting symbol of empty social ritual and commercial worship.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
English
Babba
“A personal name, originally a pet form or nickname”
Middle English
English
Babbot / Babette
“Diminutive or nickname forms built from Babba-type names”
19th Century
English
Babbitt
“An English surname, especially in American usage”
1922
English
Babbitt
“Sinclair Lewis’s novel title and central character, a boosterish businessman”
Modern English
English
babbitt
“A smugly conventional, materialistic person”