proletarian

[ proh-li-tair-ee-uhn ]
See synonyms for proletarian on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. pertaining or belonging to the proletariat.

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

noun
  1. a member of the proletariat.

Origin of proletarian

1
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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for proletarian

proletarian

less commonly proletary (ˈprəʊlɪtərɪ, -trɪ)

/ (ˌprəʊlɪˈtɛərɪən) /


adjective
  1. of, relating, or belonging to the proletariat

nounplural -tarians or -taries
  1. a member of the proletariat

Origin of proletarian

1
C17: from Latin prōlētārius one whose only contribution to the state was his offspring, from prōlēs offspring

Derived forms of proletarian

  • proletarianism, noun
  • proletarianness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012