the proletariat
noun
: the lowest social or economic class of a community
especially
: the working class
Examples of the proletariat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In other words, the proletariat, employed or otherwise, only increases in number as fewer of its members are necessary for yielding up the surplus value that forms the essence of the system.
—
Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Soviet Russia, too, experienced periodic panics about slothful bureaucrats impeding the dictatorship of the proletariat.
—Charlie Tyson, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
The public can’t handle the truth Recent political shows have settled into a mode that suggests the proletariat is, well, dumb — think of how The Regime depicts the populace of its unnamed country cheering for Kate Winslet’s mustard-fetishizing autocrat.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
The terminal works pay homage to fishermen and women fishmongers and sailors and the proletariat.
—John Oseid, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024
In those early days, my mother was writing for the Socialist Workers Party’s newspaper, The Militant, and making a lot of trips to Latin America, giving speeches to the proletariat.
—Xochitl Gonzalez, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2024
Leave this list for the rest of the proletariat to find affordable cabriolets.
—Logan Carter / Jalopnik, Quartz, 22 June 2024
Karl Marx is bringing economics to the proletariat.
—Kevin Drum, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2018
Didn’t think so — but other circumstances have the zero-consumption party tactic trickling down to the proletariat.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
Soviet Russia, too, experienced periodic panics about slothful bureaucrats impeding the dictatorship of the proletariat.
—Charlie Tyson, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2025
The public can’t handle the truth Recent political shows have settled into a mode that suggests the proletariat is, well, dumb — think of how The Regime depicts the populace of its unnamed country cheering for Kate Winslet’s mustard-fetishizing autocrat.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
The terminal works pay homage to fishermen and women fishmongers and sailors and the proletariat.
—John Oseid, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2024
In those early days, my mother was writing for the Socialist Workers Party’s newspaper, The Militant, and making a lot of trips to Latin America, giving speeches to the proletariat.
—Xochitl Gonzalez, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2024
Leave this list for the rest of the proletariat to find affordable cabriolets.
—Logan Carter / Jalopnik, Quartz, 22 June 2024
Karl Marx is bringing economics to the proletariat.
—Kevin Drum, Foreign Affairs, 14 June 2018
Didn’t think so — but other circumstances have the zero-consumption party tactic trickling down to the proletariat.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024
Cite this Entry
“The proletariat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20proletariat. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share