Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Being one hundred more than three hundred: The cardinal number equal to 400, represented by the numeral '400'.

2. Noun:

   • The exclusive social set of a city: A term used historically, especially in the United States, to refer to the small group of people considered to constitute the fashionable or aristocratic elite of a particular city.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • The library holds over four hundred manuscripts from the medieval period.
  • The estimated cost is four hundred dollars.

• Noun:

  • In the late 19th century, Mrs. Astor's list defined the Four Hundred of New York society.
  • The party was attended by the city's four hundred, making it the social event of the season.

Advanced Usage

• "The Four Hundred": A specific historical reference to the list of New York's high society, famously compiled by socialite Caroline Schermerhorn Astor in the 1890s.
  • The term "the Four Hundred" originated from the capacity of Mrs. Astor's ballroom.

Variants and Related Words

• 400: The numeric representation.
• CD: The Roman numeral for four hundred.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Four hundred has no true synonyms as a specific numeral, but can be described as "four times one hundred."
• Noun (social set): The elite, high society, the upper crust, the aristocracy.

Related Phrases

• The Upper Four Hundred: An alternative phrasing emphasizing the social aspect.
  • Gossip columns often reported on the comings and goings of the Upper Four Hundred.

Related Idioms

• Not in the same league as the Four Hundred: Used to indicate someone is not part of the social elite.
  • With his modest background, he knew he was not in the same league as the Four Hundred.

Adjective

1. being one hundred more than three hundred

Noun

1. the exclusive social set of a city