What does socialite mean?
Word: Socialite
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Socialite means a person who is well known in fashionable circles and is often seen at parties, openings and other grand events.
How do you spell socialite?
Syllables: so - cial - ite
Tricky part: The last part sounds exactly like light, but it is spelt ite, the way kite and polite end. There is no gh anywhere in the word.
Watch out for: socialight, socialyte
Memory tip: A socialite may light up a party, but the word borrows its ending from kite, not from light.
Socialite in a sentence
Example 1: Photographers crowded round as a well-known socialite arrived at the film premiere in a silver dress.
Example 2: Oliver read that the socialite had organised a charity ball to raise money for a wildlife park.
Example 3: In the old novel Oliver borrowed, a socialite throws a grand party every Saturday in her house by the sea.
Fun Fact
Socialite is a fairly young word: it came into use in the United States around the 1920s, for people famous for their busy party diaries.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
so_ _alite
a) ti
b) ci
c) sh
d) si
Show answer
b) ci. The sh sound here is written ci, the same pair you hear in special and official.
Word Champ
Read the three statements and choose the correct option:
1. A socialite is likely to be invited to many glamorous evening events. 2. A hermit loves crowded parties every night. 3. A celebrity is a famous person, especially in entertainment or sport.
a) only 1 and 3
b) only 1
c) all three are true
d) only 2 and 3
Show answer
a) only 1 and 3. A hermit keeps away from crowds, so statement 2 is false; the other two are true.
Word Tally
How many words are misspelt in the sentence?
The famous sociallite opened the new art gallery on the high street and cut a red ribbon with a huge pair of scissors.
a) 1
b) 0
c) 3
d) 2
Show answer
a) 1. Only sociallite is wrong: it has one l too many; gallery and scissors are spelt correctly.
Word Puzzle
Match the words in the two lists:
1. socialite 2. host 3. guest a. someone whose name often appears in the news for going to glittering occasions b. a person who is invited to a party or to someone's home c. a person who holds a party and welcomes the visitors
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
b) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
c) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
d) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
Show answer
c) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b. The host throws the party, the guest is invited to it, and the socialite is the name everyone recognises.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these would a socialite be most likely to receive in the post?
a) an invitation to a gala dinner
b) a timetable for a school bus
c) a seed catalogue for farmers
d) a bill for a tractor repair
Show answer
a) an invitation to a gala dinner
2. Where would you most expect to read about a socialite?
a) the index of a geography textbook
b) the celebrity pages of a magazine
c) the answers page of a maths book
d) the back page of a train timetable
Show answer
b) the celebrity pages of a magazine
