Proletariat Definition
prōlĭ-târē-ĭt
noun
The class of industrial wage earners who, possessing neither capital nor production means, must earn their living by selling their labor.
American Heritage
The class of lowest status in any society.
Webster's New World
The class of lowest status in ancient Roman society.
Webster's New World
The working class; esp., the industrial working class.
Webster's New World
The wage earners collectively, excluding salaried workers.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:
- working-class
- labour
- labor
- rabble
- plebs
- commonalty
- masses
- commoners
- commonality
- the rank and file
- the masses
Other Word Forms of Proletariat
Noun
Singular:
proletariatPlural:
proletariatsOrigin of Proletariat
-
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")
From Wiktionary
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French prolétariat from Latin prōlētārius belonging to the lowest class of Roman citizens proletarian
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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