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
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
Fundamentally, the proletarian forfeits not so much income as individual freedom and the sovereignty of his or her class.
—Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proletarian
Adjective
-
Per Trump’s promise, the proposal leaves Title I (support for schools with low income students) and IDEA (funding for students with special needs) intact.—
Peter Greene,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
Even with the longstanding recommendations, vaccination rates were relatively low for children and pregnant women.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 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
Adjective
-
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
-
The former princess, who is Emperor Naruhito's niece, left Japan's royal family and gave up her royal status in order to marry Komuro — who is a commoner — in 2021.—
Greta Bjornson,
People.com,
2 June 2025
-
Prehistoric mastodon jaw found in backyard of New York home The first Magna Carta was issued in 1215 by England's King John, declaring that the king and his government were not above the law and outlined the legal rights of commoners for the first time.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
The humble statement was met with loud protests from all of his onstage colleagues, as well as Armisen.—
Jillian Sederholm,
EW.com,
4 June 2025
-
The humble bathroom scale has long been overdue to learn some new tricks.—
Christopher Null,
Wired News,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
Occasionally, like tonight, a chiseled pleb or square-jawed gym owner will pass muster, taking her to some exclusive club in Tribeca.—
Seija Rankin,
EW.com,
29 Apr. 2021
-
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
-
Another option to assess training intensity is to look at how the unwashed masses train: to sift through reams of data looking for the patterns and variables that predict the best race performances.—
Alex Hutchinson,
Outside Online,
31 Dec. 2024
-
Besides the health concerns, unwashed skin simply doesn’t look its best.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Time,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
George Wendt, who bellied up to the bar to portray the beer-quaffing everyman Norm Peterson for all 11 seasons of the fabled NBC sitcom Cheers, has died.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2025
-
The everyman who said yes way too often or drank the Kool-Aid one too many times growing up in a place like Coruscant.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Proletarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proletarian. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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