definitions

proletarian

[ proh-li-tair-ee-uh n ]
/ ˌproʊ lɪˈtɛər i ən /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR proletarian ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

pertaining or belonging to the proletariat.
(in ancient Rome) belonging to the lowest or poorest class of the people.

noun

a member of the proletariat.

RELATED WORDS

humble, miserable, vulgar, petty, accessible, ubiquitous, prevalent, familiar, universal, rampant, public, simple, modest, obscure, unassuming, ordinary, unpretentious, employee, trader, peasant

Nearby words

prole, proleg, prolegomenon, prolegomenous, prolepsis, proletarian, proletarianism, proletarianize, proletariat, proletarize, proletary

Origin of proletarian

First recorded in 1650–60; see origin at proletary, -an

Related forms

pro·le·tar·i·an·ly, adverbpro·le·tar·i·an·ness, nounhalf-pro·le·tar·i·an, adjectivenon·pro·le·tar·i·an, adjective, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for proletarian

British Dictionary definitions for proletarian

proletarian

less commonly proletary (ˈprəʊlɪtərɪ, -trɪ)

/ (ˌprəʊlɪˈtɛərɪən) /

adjective

of, relating, or belonging to the proletariat

noun plural -tarians or -taries

a member of the proletariat

Derived Forms

proletarianism, nounproletarianness, noun

Word Origin for proletarian

C17: from Latin prōlētārius one whose only contribution to the state was his offspring, from prōlēs offspring
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