Meanings
plural Marie Antoinettes
- Someone with an extravagant and luxurious lifestyle, often at the expense of those who lack food, clothes, or shelter.
By the end of the year 2000, Howard seemed likely to be remembered as the Marie Antoinette of Australian politics for his incorrigible use of public monies to support the Howard family's personal comfort.
2002, Francis Gordon Clarke, The history of Australia, →ISBN, page 195
Origin
From Marie Antoinette (1755–1793), French queen, traditionally said to have had a frivolous regard for the starving peasants; see Let them eat cake.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Marie Antoinette. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Marie%20Antoinette
“Marie Antoinette.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Marie%20Antoinette. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Marie Antoinette,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Marie%20Antoinette.
Source: Marie Antoinette on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.