adj
Uncommon
bourgeois
BAWZH-wah
Bourgeois (adj) means relating to the middle class, often used to criticise conventional, materialistic, or overly comfortable values. Example: “She dismissed the whole idea as a bourgeois obsession with property.”
adj
1
Relating to the middle class, often used to criticise conventional, materialistic, or overly comfortable values.
"She dismissed the whole idea as a bourgeois obsession with property."
"He mocked their bourgeois taste for neat lawns and polite dinner parties."
"Critics called the film's cosy ending bourgeois and safe."
"The increasing social interactions between the two nations through religion, court and commerce would expose differences in speech too and would soon deepen bourgeois Scots’ deteriorating perception of their own tongue."
— Clive Young, chapter three: From Union to Devolution (2023)
noun
1
A member of the middle or property-owning class.
"The novel follows a wealthy bourgeois family in 19th-century Paris."
"The play pokes fun at a bourgeois who worries too much about appearances."
"In the story, the bourgeois owned a shop and several rented houses."
How to use bourgeois
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMiddle-class, often used with a critical edge to suggest someone is overly conventional or materialistic.
When to use it
Frequently used dismissively or politically, especially in Marxist or left-leaning writing.
Easily confused with
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- bourgeoises
- Past tense
- bourgeoised
- Comparative
- more bourgeois
- Superlative
- most bourgeois
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She dismissed the whole idea as a _____ obsession with property.
Etymology
From French bourgeois, "town dweller," ultimately from a Germanic word related to "borough."
Related words
Rhymes for bourgeois
See all rhymes for bourgeois →Frequently asked questions
What does “bourgeois” mean?
The word “bourgeois” means relating to the middle class, often used to criticise conventional, materialistic, or overly comfortable values. In plain terms, middle-class, often used with a critical edge to suggest someone is overly conventional or materialistic.
How do you pronounce “bourgeois”?
“Bourgeois” is pronounced BAWZH-wah (/bʊɹʒˈwɑː/ in IPA).
How do you use “bourgeois” in a sentence?
Here is “bourgeois” used in a sentence: “She dismissed the whole idea as a bourgeois obsession with property.”
What part of speech is “bourgeois”?
Depending on how it is used, “bourgeois” can be an adjective and a noun.
Where does the word “bourgeois” come from?
The word “bourgeois” comes from French. From French bourgeois, "town dweller," ultimately from a Germanic word related to "borough.".
Is “bourgeois” a common word?
“Bourgeois” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “bourgeois” have?
“Bourgeois” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: relating to the middle class, often used to criticise conventional, materialistic, or overly comfortable values.
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