petty bourgeoisie

noun

1. petite bourgeoisie.

Word History and Origins

Origin of petty bourgeoisie¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Painting Laszlo as some mascot for the self-involved petty bourgeoisie would be easy to do if Berry’s performance didn’t smash all expectations.

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As Hugo Young puts it in his book “One of Us,” the young Thatcher “belonged to the rising petty bourgeoisie, not the beleaguered working class.”

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Modest, who is lured by the discreet charm of the petty bourgeoisie, exults — “We’ll make lots and lots of money” — before being swatted down.

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And on the consumer level, the state’s low taxes drew Europe’s tax-averse petty bourgeoisie.

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The petty bourgeoisie, great in boasting, is very impotent for action, and very shy in risking anything.

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