proletariat

English

/ˌpɹoʊlɪˈtɛəɹi.ət/

noun
Definitions
  • The working class or lower class.
  • The wage earners collectively, excluding salaried workers.
  • (history) In ancient Rome, the lowest class of citizens, who had no property; "regarded as contributing nothing to the state but offspring" (OED, 1992).

Etymology

Derived from French prolétariat.

Origin

French

prolétariat

Gloss

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms