noun
proletariat
proh-lih-TEH-uh-rih-uht
noun
1
The working class as a whole, especially wage earners without capital of their own.
"The book examines the rise of the industrial proletariat in 19th-century Europe."
How to Use Proletariat
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe working class, especially as a group with shared economic interests.
When to use it
Strongly associated with Marxist political theory and academic or historical writing.
Common pairings
the industrial proletariat
rise of the proletariat
Word Forms
proletariats plural
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The book examines the rise of the industrial _____ in 19th-century Europe.
Etymology
From French prolétariat, from Latin proletarius, "citizen of the lowest class."