burgher
Americannoun
noun
-
a member of the trading or mercantile class of a medieval city
-
a respectable citizen; bourgeois
-
archaic a citizen or inhabitant of a corporate town, esp on the Continent
-
history
-
a citizen of the Cape Colony or of one of the Transvaal and Free State republics
-
( as modifier )
burgher troops
-
Other Word Forms
- burghership noun
Etymology
Origin of burgher
1560–70; < Middle Dutch < Middle High German burger, equivalent to burg borough + -er -er 1
Explanation
Burgher is an old-fashioned term for a well-to-do resident of a town. Thanks to the wealthy burghers of your little city, the library got a fancy new cafe. This word can be used in a humorous way to mean "member of the bourgeoisie," but it originally referred to an official rank. During medieval times, privileged members of a European town (often those who were male and owned property) were given the title of burgher. City governments were composed of burghers, or “freemen of a burgh or borough.”
Vocabulary lists containing burgher
"Genesis of the Tenement," Vocabulary from the essay
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Medieval Europe - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Medieval Europe - High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Banská Bystrica is a tranquil kind of place, with a genteel Mitteleuropa charm: the centre has pavement cafes, neat rows of burgher houses and a number of handsome baroque churches.
From The Guardian • Feb. 14, 2019
He recruited the famous woodcut artist Lucas Cranach, a friend and wealthy Wittenberg burgher, to improve the appearance of his works.
From Washington Post • Oct. 26, 2017
“The nobleman tells us everything through the person he presents, but the burgher does not, and should not,” Goethe writes.
From The New Yorker • Feb. 1, 2016
But the rich burgher who commissioned the work suddenly decides to combine it with a farcical musical comedy.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 6, 2012
The Cittadini formed a class of burgher aristocracy, ranking below the patricians and taking no part in the actual government of the State, since they did not vote in the Consiglio Grande.
From The Memoirs of Count Carlo Gozzi; Volume the First by Gozzi, Carlo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
