proletariat

American  

[proh-li-tair-ee-uht] / ˌproʊ lɪˈtɛər i ət /

noun

1. Usually the proletariat in Marxist theory, the class made up of workers, especially industrial wage earners, who do not possess capital or property and must sell their labor to those who do in order to survive.

   The call of the proletariat is to overthrow the capitalist mode of production and finally abolish the whole class structure.

   A dictatorship of the proletariat is the first stage of the revolution.

2. Usually the proletariat the class made up of wage earners, especially unskilled or semiskilled workers who earn their living by manual labor, often dependent on daily or casual employment and typically having low levels of education and disposable income; the working class.

3. the lowest or poorest class of people, possessing no property, especially in ancient Rome.

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proletariat British  

/ ˌprəʊlɪˈtɛərɪət /

noun

1. all wage-earners collectively

2. the lower or working class

3. (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

4. (in ancient Rome) the lowest class of citizens, who had no property

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proletariat ¹ Cultural  

1. A term often applied to industrial workers, particularly by followers of Karl Marx (see also Marx).

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proletariat ² Cultural  

1. In Marxism, the industrial working class, people without property.

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Other Word Forms

• nonproletariat
  noun
• proletarian
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of proletariat

First recorded in 1850–55; from French prolétariat; equivalent to proletary + -ate ³

Compare meaning

How does proletariat compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• proletariat vs. bourgeoisie

Explanation

Proletariat is an old term for the working class. It was commonly used by Marxists and other people who believed that capitalism had created a class of workers who were exploited by company owners. They called those owners "the bourgeoisie." When you use the word proletariat now, your audience might assume that you've arrived in a time machine from the 19th century and you're still angry about the exploitation of workers. So you probably would use the term self-consciously or humorously, as in “The boss just sent around a memo saying no one’s allowed to leave until we’ve finished compiling the report. I guess the proletariat had better forget about making it home in time to watch the kick-off.”

Example Sentences

Boston-based employees of Activision unit Proletariat in January withdrew a petition to have an election.

From Reuters • Apr. 4, 2023

A third studio, the 57-person Proletariat unit including designers, animators, engineers, producers and quality assurance workers in Boston, said last week that it will seek to form a union.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 5, 2023

But unlike those studios, the proposed union at the Boston studio, known as Proletariat, includes a variety of workers, such as animators, designers and engineers, not just Q.A. workers.

From New York Times • Jan. 3, 2023

Blizzard recently acquired Boston studio Proletariat in an effort to expand its “World of Warcraft” team and content.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 2022

Privilege, 343 Proletariat, 245 Prot�g�s, 214, 217 Proto-historic, 50 Provinces, 81, 90, 115 Provincial governors, 114, 115, 180 Prussia, 275, 329 Publication, 323 Public land, 141ff.

From An Introduction to the History of Japan by Hara, Katsuro

Related Words

• lower class