bourgeoisie
bourgeoisie Lexical Profile
bourgeoisie Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes.
"The novel satirizes the comfortable lifestyle and rigid social expectations of the nineteenth-century Parisian bourgeoisie."
In Marxist theory, the capitalist class who own most of society's wealth and the means of production.
"According to Marxist theory, historical progress is driven by the economic struggle between the ruling bourgeoisie and the working proletariat."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'bourgeoisie' (the collective noun referring to the entire social class) with 'bourgeois' (which functions as an adjective or a noun referring to a single member of that class). In everyday speech, the term frequently carries a disparaging connotation of materialism and narrow-minded conventionality.
• Rhymes for bourgeoisie
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from French 'bourgeoisie', derived from Old French 'burgeis' meaning 'citizen of a fortified town', from 'borc' (town or borough), which is of Germanic origin.