proletariat
proh-lih-TAIR-ee-ut
/ˌprəʊ.lɪˈteə.ri.ət/
Workers or working-class people, regarded collectively (often used with reference to Marxist economic theory).
Specifically refers to those who do not own factories, land, or businesses, and therefore must sell their physical or mental labor to survive.
The story behind the word. In ancient Rome, the census categorized citizens by wealth. Those who were so poor they owned no property were called 'proletarius', meaning 'producers of offspring' (from 'proles', meaning offspring). Their only contribution to the Roman state was breeding future soldiers. Karl Marx revived this ancient term to describe modern industrial workers.
Word relationships
- working class: Working class is a common, modern term, while proletariat is highly formal and carries strong Marxist or revolutionary connotations.
- labor force: Labor force is a neutral, statistical economic term, whereas proletariat emphasizes the political and social identity of the workers.
- bourgeoisie: The bourgeoisie is the class that owns the means of production and employs the proletariat.
Commonly confused with
- peasantry: Peasants are agricultural laborers tied to the land (often in feudal systems), while the proletariat consists of urban, industrial wage-workers.
Word family
- proletarian (adjective): Relating to the proletariat or working class.
Collocations
- dictatorship of the proletariat
- industrial proletariat
- urban proletariat
- rise of the proletariat
Example sentences
- "The Communist Manifesto famously ends with a call for the proletariat of all countries to unite." Marxist revolutionary call
- "As automation replaces factory jobs, a new digital proletariat is emerging in warehouse fulfillment centers." Modern labor analysis
Memory hook
Think of 'pro-let-ariat'—the workers who are 'pro' letting the system change because they have nothing to lose but their chains. Proletariat = the producers of labor, not the owners of capital.
When not to use
Do not use to describe self-employed business owners, landlords, or high-level executives who live off investments.
Fun facts
- In Roman law, the 'proletarii' were exempt from taxes and military service because they were deemed too poor to contribute anything but children.
Related words
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