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proletarian

[ proh-li-tair-ee-uhn ]
/ ˌproʊ lɪˈtɛər i ən /
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See synonyms for: proletarian / proletarians 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.
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Origin of proletarian

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

OTHER WORDS FROM proletarian

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

Words nearby proletarian

proleg, prolegomenon, prolegomenous, prolepsis, proleptic, proletarian, proletarianism, proletarianize, proletariat, proletarize, proletary
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to proletarian

modest, obscure, ordinary, simple, unassuming, unpretentious, humble, miserable, petty, vulgar, accessible, familiar, prevalent, public, rampant, ubiquitous, universal, blue collar, lower class, employee

How to use proletarian in a sentence

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 of proletarian

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
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