chatterati

English

Alternative forms

• chatteratis, as if the plural of a singular *chatterati

Etymology

Blend of chatter +‎ literati, attested since 1990.

Noun

chatterati pl (plural only)

1. People who chat, argue and debate.
   • 2002, Annabelle Sreberny, “Trauma talk,” in Journalism After September 11, Barbara Zelizer and Stuart Allan edd. [1]

     The newspaper the Guardian, together with its Sunday sister the Observer, are the liberal papers of choice among the middle-class chatterati.

   • 2004, John Mole, It's All Greek to Me‎^[2]:

     Perhaps some Anatolian Leigh Fermor had a bestseller among the chatterati of Topkapi with his Travels in the Egripos.

   • 2004 January 20, Peter Simmons, “political incorrectness and the chatterati”, in One World Net‎^[3]:

     At last, after many years, the doctrine of multi-culturalism is being questioned. The chatterati have long held onto this as a core belief, a multi-cultural society where hundreds of different cultures exist side by side, and anyone criticising it has been labeled as a racist.

   • 2005 Christina Odone, in the Manchester Guardian, quoted in Credo by Ray Pritchard [4]

     From when to die to when to give birth, from whom to have sex with, to how to spend their money, the chatteratis believe they should enjoy unlimited freedom.

Synonyms

• chattering classes

References

• “chatterati”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.