bourgeois

1
[ boo r-zhwah, boo r-zhwah; French boor-zhwa ]
/ bʊərˈʒwɑ, ˈbʊər ʒwɑ; French burˈʒwa /

noun, plural bour·geois.

a member of the middle class.
a person whose political, economic, and social opinions are believed to be determined mainly by concern for property values and conventional respectability.
a shopkeeper or merchant.

adjective

belonging to, characteristic of, or consisting of the middle class.
conventional; middle-class.
dominated or characterized by materialistic pursuits or concerns.

Origin of bourgeois

1
1555–65; < Middle French; Old French borgeis burgess

Definition for bourgeois (2 of 3)

bourgeois 2
[ ber-jois ]
/ bərˈdʒɔɪs /

noun Printing.

a size of type approximately 9-point, between brevier and long primer.

Origin of bourgeois

2
First recorded in 1815–25; perhaps from a printer so named

Definition for bourgeois (3 of 3)

Bourgeois
[ boo r-zhwah, boo r-zhwah; French boor-zhwa ]
/ bʊərˈʒwɑ, ˈbʊər ʒwɑ; French burˈʒwa /

noun

Lé·on Vic·tor Au·guste [ley-awn veek-tawr oh-gyst] /leɪˈɔ̃ vikˈtɔr oʊˈgyst/,1851–1925, French statesman: Nobel Peace Prize 1920.
Louise,1911–2010, U.S. sculptor, born in France.

Example sentences from the Web for bourgeois

British Dictionary definitions for bourgeois (1 of 3)

bourgeois 1
/ (ˈbʊəʒwɑː, bʊəˈʒwɑː) often derogatory /

noun plural -geois

a member of the middle class, esp one regarded as being conservative and materialistic or (in Marxist thought) a capitalist exploiting the working class
a mediocre, unimaginative, or materialistic person

adjective

characteristic of, relating to, or comprising the middle class
conservative or materialistic in outlook a bourgeois mentality
(in Marxist thought) dominated by capitalists or capitalist interests

Derived forms of bourgeois

bourgeoise (ˈbʊəʒwɑːz, bʊəˈʒwɑːz), fem n

Word Origin for bourgeois

C16: from Old French borjois, burgeis burgher, citizen, from bourg town; see burgess

British Dictionary definitions for bourgeois (2 of 3)

bourgeois 2
/ (bəˈdʒɔɪs) /

noun

(formerly) a size of printer's type approximately equal to 9 point

Word Origin for bourgeois

C19: perhaps from its size, midway between long primer and brevier

British Dictionary definitions for bourgeois (3 of 3)

Bourgeois
/ (French burʒwa) /

noun

Léon Victor Auguste . (leɔ̃ viktɔr oɡyst). 1851–1925, French statesman; first chairman of the League of Nations: Nobel peace prize 1920