proletarian

[ proh-li-tair-ee-uh n ]
/ ˌproʊ lɪˈtɛər i ən /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR proletarian ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

pertaining or belonging to the proletariat.
(in ancient Rome) belonging to the lowest or poorest class of the people.

noun

a member of the proletariat.

Origin of proletarian

First recorded in 1650–60; see origin at proletary, -an

OTHER WORDS FROM proletarian

pro·le·tar·i·an·ly, adverb pro·le·tar·i·an·ness, noun half-pro·le·tar·i·an, adjective non·pro·le·tar·i·an, adjective, noun

Words nearby proletarian

prole, proleg, prolegomenon, prolegomenous, prolepsis, proletarian, proletarianism, proletarianize, proletariat, proletarize, proletary

Words related to proletarian

humble, miserable, vulgar, petty, accessible, ubiquitous, prevalent, familiar, universal, rampant, public, simple, modest, obscure, unassuming, ordinary, unpretentious, employee, trader, peasant

Example sentences from the Web for proletarian

British Dictionary definitions for proletarian

proletarian

less commonly proletary (ˈprəʊlɪtərɪ, -trɪ)

/ (ˌprəʊlɪˈtɛərɪən) /

adjective

of, relating, or belonging to the proletariat

noun plural -tarians or -taries

a member of the proletariat

Derived forms of proletarian

proletarianism, noun proletarianness, noun

Word Origin for proletarian

C17: from Latin prōlētārius one whose only contribution to the state was his offspring, from prōlēs offspring