bourgeoise

noun

bour·​geoise
ˈbu̇rzh-ˌwäz,
 also  ˈbu̇zh-,
 or  ˈbüzh-,
or
bu̇rzh-ˈwäz How to pronounce bourgeoise (audio)
: a woman of the middle class

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web What tech savvy conservatives who do not speak truth to Creationism are doing is analogous to the behavior of affluent upper middle Marxist academics, who enjoy the accoutrements of bourgeoise life, while giving lip service to the revolution. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 21 Nov. 2012 Madame Maigret, in turn, is the very type of the French bourgeoise chatelaine, whom Maigret both protects and patronizes. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2022 In an improv acting class, tall, curly-haired Jazis meets fellow student Anna (Alise Dzene), a rich girl whose rebelliousness runs more toward acts of shock-the-bourgeoise provocation. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 10 June 2022 Bougie —a shortened slang for bourgeoise—brunches don’t necessarily have to be stuffy and formal. John-john Williams Iv, baltimoresun.com, 9 July 2019 And given how much new revenue Democrats can generate just by restoring Obama-era tax rates on the superrich and corporations, odds are the party will avoid picking a fight with the blue-state bourgeoise. Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, 25 Apr. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bourgeoise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, feminine of bourgeois

First Known Use

1772, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bourgeoise was in 1772

Dictionary Entries Near bourgeoise

Cite this Entry

“Bourgeoise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bourgeoise. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.

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