lumpen

[ luhm-puhn ]

adjective

1. of or relating to disfranchised and uprooted individuals or groups, especially those who have lost status:

   the lumpen bourgeoisie.

noun

1. a lumpen individual or group.

lumpen

/ ˈlʌmpən /

adjective

1. informal.
   stupid or unthinking

Word History and Origins

Origin of lumpen¹

First recorded in 1945–50; extracted from lumpenproletariat

Word History and Origins

Origin of lumpen¹

from German Lump vagabond, influenced in meaning by Lumpen rag, as in lumpenproletariat

Example Sentences

Such are the celebrated barefoot brigade, the eternal vagabonds, the "lumpen-proletariat" of Gorky's early works.

From Project Gutenberg