First Known Use: 1847
Dictionary
proletariat
noun pro·le·tar·i·at \ˌprō-lə-ˈter-ē-ət, -ē-ˌat\
Definition of PROLETARIAT
1
: the laboring class; especially : the class of industrial workers who lack their own means of production and hence sell their labor to live
2
: the lowest social or economic class of a community
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Origin of PROLETARIAT
French prolétariat, from Latin proletarius
Related to PROLETARIAT
- Synonyms
- rabble, rabblement, ragtag and bobtail, riffraff, rout, scum, tag, rag, and bobtail (or tagrag and bobtail), trash, unwashed
- Antonyms
- A-list, aristocracy, elite, gentry, quality, society, upper class, upper crust
Other Sociology Terms
Rhymes with PROLETARIAT
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