as in low
belonging to the class of people of low social or economic rank
a self-made Internet magnate who is not at all ashamed of his proletarian background
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as in plebeian
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Recent Examples of proletarian
Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
The song, now considered a protest anthem, is about a social revolution in which French proletarians stand against the ruling class — in this case, an oppressive monarchy.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025
Later in the novel, Hans’s mind turns to the brutality of occupation: If in the course of a five-day plan, 200,000 Berliners were removed by 50,000, these 50,000 proletarians would be fused into a collective by the shock of having killed.
—Rumaan Alam, The New Republic, 21 June 2023
As a proudly class-conscious proletarian, Martin is naturally supportive of worker strikes.
—J. Hoberman, The New York Review of Books, 22 Oct. 2020
Yet modern liberalism fits the modern world of high human capital better than the old rightish model of dim-witted peasants properly led by the aristocracy or the old leftish model of gormless proletarians properly led by The Party.
—The Economist, 8 Jan. 2020
Owing to the extensive use of machinery and to division of labour, the work of the proletarians has lost all individual character, and, consequently, all charm for the workman.
—Tristram Hunt, WSJ, 25 Jan. 2019
The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains.
—Erik Kirschbaum, latimes.com, 3 May 2018
Sonja Fritzsche, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
On the one hand, the proletarian contributes every bit of on-the-clock activity to the value of the resulting commodity.
—Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
The song, now considered a protest anthem, is about a social revolution in which French proletarians stand against the ruling class — in this case, an oppressive monarchy.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 24 Feb. 2025
Later in the novel, Hans’s mind turns to the brutality of occupation: If in the course of a five-day plan, 200,000 Berliners were removed by 50,000, these 50,000 proletarians would be fused into a collective by the shock of having killed.
—Rumaan Alam, The New Republic, 21 June 2023
As a proudly class-conscious proletarian, Martin is naturally supportive of worker strikes.
—J. Hoberman, The New York Review of Books, 22 Oct. 2020
Yet modern liberalism fits the modern world of high human capital better than the old rightish model of dim-witted peasants properly led by the aristocracy or the old leftish model of gormless proletarians properly led by The Party.
—The Economist, 8 Jan. 2020
Owing to the extensive use of machinery and to division of labour, the work of the proletarians has lost all individual character, and, consequently, all charm for the workman.
—Tristram Hunt, WSJ, 25 Jan. 2019
The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains.
—Erik Kirschbaum, latimes.com, 3 May 2018
Noun
This new proletarian culture was personified in the ideal of the New Soviet Man.
—Sonja Fritzsche, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proletarian
Adjective
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The 29-time PGA Tour winner has carded three rounds in the 60s, but hasn't been able to go low enough to be among the contenders.—
Julio Cesar Valdera Morales,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Oct. 2025
-
The pair keep a relatively low profile but have collaborated on productions including Wickline’s theater project, Dukes Forever, which Hornbuckle directed.—
Alyssa Davis,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
So much for plebeians like myself, who tended to plants at a local nursery for minimum wage at 17.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
-
Its practical function: No one, neither courtier nor plebeian, could stand close to the queen, conspicuous in her splendid isolation.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Dec. 2024
Noun
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In Jodie Foster’s satire-cum-thriller, George Clooney plays a Jim Cramer-ish TV finance guru whose bullish promotion of one stock has led desperate prole Jack O’Connell to lose his life savings, leading to a hostage standoff in the TV studio.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Yet Empire Falls translates into a lumpen, stodgy miniseries, despite a fine central performance from Harris as a divorced diner owner with deep roots in the town and a structure that allows the past to keep informing and enriching the present.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2024
-
Rhys spent decades, often isolated and paranoid, in lumpen houses and apartments in and out of London, before success arrived late.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
20 June 2022
Noun
-
This idea is particularly demonstrated through Ramza’s relationship with his best friend, a commoner named Delita.—
Hayes Madsen,
Rolling Stone,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The mysterious spirit animal messengers that Ji-noo sends, a tiger and a magpie who represent the nobles and commoners of many Korean folk tales, needed to be otherworldly without being fully demonic.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Bold hues are the name of the game, whether this means going for the kind of saturated, chili pepper–adjacent red that flooded the runways of labels like Ferragamo or embracing autumn’s fascination with all things deep purple, courtesy of an earrings pair that pays homage to the humble eggplant.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
13 Oct. 2025
-
And Jacob, who’s so humble, Mia, and, of course, Christoph.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Instead of following his gut like some unenlightened pleb, Patrick trusts his spleen and his spleen alone.—
Laura Bradley,
Vulture,
13 Aug. 2025
-
But because these monsters have yet to develop any fungal armor, runners are susceptible to gunshots, knives, and any other weaponry that would take out your average pleb.—
Lauren Puckett-Pope,
ELLE,
20 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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The Chinese mill’s Soft Raw collection enables customer to use unwashed denim directly off the roll with a soft comfortable hand and deep dark inky indigo shades.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
17 Oct. 2025
-
For such a popular restaurant, Matsuri tolerates a lot of flies, unwashed walls and substandard handwashing, as detailed in a Miami Herald story this week on last week’s inspection.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Proletarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proletarian. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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