proletariat

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From French prolétariat, from Latin proletarius (a man whose only wealth is his offspring, or whose sole service to the state is as father), from proles (offspring, posterity)

Pronunciation

  • (US) enPR: 'prōlĭʹtârēət, IPA(key): /ˌpɹoʊlɪˈtɛəɹi.ət/
  • (file)

Noun

proletariat (plural proletariats)

  1. The working class or lower class.
    • 1906, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party, page 173:
      "Of all the classes that stand face to face with the bourgeoisie to day the proletariat alone is a really revolutionary class."
  2. The wage earners collectively, excluding salaried workers.
  3. (historical) In ancient Rome, the lowest class of citizens, who had no property; "regarded as contributing nothing to the state but offspring" (OED, 1992).

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Anagrams


Polish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /prɔ.lɛˈtarʲ.jat/

Noun

proletariat m inan

  1. proletariat

Declension

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