Main Entry: ¹bour·geois

Pronunciation: \ˈbu̇rzh-ˌwä also ˈbu̇zh- or ˈbüzh- or bu̇rzh-ˈ\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle French, from Old French burgeis townsman, from burc, borg town, from Latin burgus

Date: circa 1565

1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of the townsman or of the social middle class
2 : marked by a concern for material interests and respectability and a tendency toward mediocrity
3 : dominated by commercial and industrial interests : capitalistic

— bour·geois·ifi·ca·tion \ˌbu̇(r)zh-ˌwä-zə-fə-ˈkā-shən\ noun

— bour·geois·ify \bu̇(r)zh-ˈwä-zə-ˌfī\ verb