proletariat
proh-lih-TAIR-ee-ut
/ˌproʊ.lɪˈtɛər.i.ət/
The working class, especially those who do not own the means of production and must sell their labor to survive.
Refers specifically to wage earners in an industrial or capitalist system, carrying political and socio-economic connotations rather than just low income.
The story behind the word. In ancient Rome, a 'proletarius' was a citizen of the lowest socio-economic tier who owned no property. The Roman state valued them primarily for their capacity to produce offspring ('proles') to serve in military campaigns. Karl Marx resurrected this Latin term in the nineteenth century to describe the modern industrial wage-working class.
Word relationships
- working class: 'Working class' is a broader, everyday descriptive term, whereas 'proletariat' specifically implies a Marxist analysis of economic power relations.
- wage earners: 'Wage earners' focuses strictly on income mechanism, while 'proletariat' emphasizes class position in relation to capital.
- bourgeoisie: The bourgeoisie owns the capital and means of production, directly opposite to the wage-dependent proletariat.
Commonly confused with
- bourgeoisie: Proletariat refers to the workers who sell labor; bourgeoisie refers to the capitalist owners who employ them.
Word family
- proletarian (adjective): Relating to the working class.
- proletarianization (noun): The process by which intermediate social groups are reduced to the working class.
Collocations
- urban proletariat
- industrial proletariat
- proletariat revolution
- dictatorship of the proletariat
Example sentences
- "The rapid growth of factories created an urban proletariat that depended entirely on weekly wages." Sociological analysis of industrial revolution urban centers.
- "In proportion as the bourgeoisie, i.e., capital, is developed, in the same proportion is the proletariat, the modern working class, developed." Political manifesto outlining social structures. (Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto (1848))
Memory hook
Think of 'PROLE-tariat' as 'PROducing Laborers' who rely on their own physical output rather than inherited assets. Proles producing labor for pay.
When not to use
Do not use to describe general middle-class professionals or self-employed artisans who own their production tools.
Fun facts
- In George Orwell's 1984, the working class masses under Big Brother are colloquially dubbed the 'proles'.
Related words
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