Word
bourgeoisie
Phoneticsbour·geoisie
US/ˌbʊɹʒˌwɑˈzi/
UK/bˌɔːʒwɑːzˈiː/
Definition
n. the middle class in a society, especially people who own businesses or property. In history and politics, it often describes people who care a lot about money and social status.
n. the social order dominated by the middle class, particularly those who own the means of production in a capitalist society. Often carries a pejorative connotation in Marxist theory or social criticism, implying a preoccupation with material interests and conventional respectability.
Examples
“The local bourgeoisie supported the new tax laws to protect their businesses.”
“Nineteenth-century novels often explored the tension between the rising bourgeoisie and the traditional landed aristocracy.”
“Marxist theory posits that the bourgeoisie inevitably exploits the proletariat by extracting surplus value from their labor, a dynamic that eventually leads to class conflict and social revolution.”
Examples
simple
“The local bourgeoisie supported the new tax laws to protect their businesses.”
contextual
“Nineteenth-century novels often explored the tension between the rising bourgeoisie and the traditional landed aristocracy.”
complex
“Marxist theory posits that the bourgeoisie inevitably exploits the proletariat by extracting surplus value from their labor, a dynamic that eventually leads to class conflict and social revolution.”
Usage
Usually takes a singular verb as a collective noun, though it can take a plural verb in British English when referring to the individual members.
Pitfall
The bourgeoisies are wealthy.
The bourgeoisie is wealthy.
Bourgeoisie is a collective noun and is typically uncountable; use 'bourgeois' to refer to an individual person.
Real-World Examples
“They often ended up in debt to members of the city’s emerging merchant bourgeoisie.” Etymology
Unadapted borrowing from French bourgeoisie, from bourgeois (“a class of citizens who were wealthier members of the Third Estate”), from bourgeois, “burghers”, i.e., townspeople.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/bourgeoisie