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Definition of "proletariat" [prol•e•ta•ri•at]

  • The class of industrial wage earners who, possessing neither capital nor production means, must earn their living by selling their labor. (noun)
  • The poorest class of working people. (noun)
  • The propertyless class of ancient Rome, constituting the lowest class of citizens. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "proletariat" in a sentence
  • "In Russia, where the proletariat is armed, the proletariat becomes the only real influential body."
  • "By 'proletariat' is meant the class of people without capital which sells its labor for a living."
  • "Our strength, the strength of the proletariat, is in our muscles, in our hands to cast ballots, in our fingers to pull triggers."