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prolétaire

proletarian

noun adjective proh-leh-TEHR Rare
People & Society Community

Origin: Latin proletarius (a citizen of the lowest class, valued only for his offspring)

Also means

working-class person

Usage Note

Prolétaire is both a noun and an invariable-gender adjective. Its use is rooted in Marxist political vocabulary; the rallying cry Prolétaires de tous les pays, unissez-vous ! ('Workers of the world, unite!') is the French rendering of Marx and Engels's phrase. In contemporary French it can carry an ironic or nostalgic register. The related noun prolétariat refers to the working class as a collective social stratum.

Examples

"Le roman décrit la vie d'un prolétaire au XIXe siècle."

Natural Translation

The novel describes the life of a proletarian in the 19th century.

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