lumpenproletariat

American

[luhm-puhn-proh-li-tair-ee-uht] / ˈlʌm pənˌproʊ lɪˈtɛər i ət /

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter)

the lowest level of the proletariat comprising unskilled workers, vagrants, and criminals and characterized by a lack of class identification and solidarity.

lumpenproletariat British

/ ˌlʌmpənˌprəʊlɪˈtɛərɪət /

noun

(esp in Marxist theory) the amorphous urban social group below the proletariat, consisting of criminals, tramps, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of lumpenproletariat

1920–25; < German (Marx, 1850), equivalent to Lumpen rag or Lumpen-, combining form of Lump ragamuffin + Proletariat proletariat

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They constituted a willing and indispensable Lumpenproletariat for Western Europe's postwar boom, ready to do work no one else wanted to do.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023