peasantry

American  

[pez-uhn-tree] / ˈpɛz ən tri /

noun

1. peasants collectively.

2. the status or character of a peasant.

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peasantry British  

/ ˈpɛzəntrɪ /

noun

1. peasants as a class

2. conduct characteristic of peasants

3. the status of a peasant

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Etymology

Origin of peasantry

First recorded in 1545–55; peasant + -ry

Example Sentences

Before the uprising can commence, the General has to unify the Polish nobility and peasantry to accumulate the muscle needed to beat back Mother Russia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

They are members of a technological medieval peasantry.

From Salon • Jul. 18, 2024

Zubak’s desire to redistribute land to the peasantry and his elevation of rural culture is the stuff of many if not most revolutions.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2024

It was rumored to have been said by an out-of-touch Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France, after she learned that the French peasantry had run out of bread.

From New York Times • Jul. 14, 2023

Yet the mood of the local villagers was not unlike that of the Russian peasantry, for a revolution of sorts was brewing among them.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood