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proletariat
[ proh-li-tair-ee-uht ]
/ ˌproʊ lɪˈtɛər i ət /
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noun
the class of wage earners, especially those who earn their living by manual labor or who are dependent for support on daily or casual employment; the working class.
(in Marxist theory) the class of workers, especially industrial wage earners, who do not possess capital or property and must sell their labor to survive.
the lowest or poorest class of people, possessing no property, especially in ancient Rome.
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OTHER WORDS FROM proletariat
non·pro·le·tar·i·at, nounWords nearby proletariat
prolepsis, proleptic, proletarian, proletarianism, proletarianize, proletariat, proletarize, proletary, proleukocyte, prolicide, prolidase
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use proletariat in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for proletariat
proletariat
/ (ˌprəʊlɪˈtɛərɪət) /
noun
all wage-earners collectively
the lower or working class
(in Marxist theory) the class of wage-earners, esp industrial workers, in a capitalist society, whose only possession of significant material value is their labour
(in ancient Rome) the lowest class of citizens, who had no property
Word Origin for proletariat
C19: via French from Latin prōlētārius proletarian
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
Cultural definitions for proletariat (1 of 2)
proletariat
[ (proh-luh-tair-ee-uht) ]
In Marxism, the industrial working class, people without property.
Cultural definitions for proletariat (2 of 2)
proletariat
[ (proh-luh-tair-ee-uht) ]
A term often applied to industrial workers, particularly by followers of Karl Marx (see also Marx).
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.