as in masses
people looked down upon as ignorant and of the lowest class
the Bolsheviks believed that Russia's discontented proletariat made that nation ripe for revolution
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Recent Examples of proletariat
The first scenario does much more to reduce poverty, demonstrating the importance of permanently expanding access to unemployment insurance to workers with nontraditional jobs—part-timers, freelancers, and other members of the gig economy’s swelling proletariat.
—
Matthew Desmond, The New York Review of Books, 28 Dec. 2023
Inspired by Karl Marx, the Bolsheviks dreamed of a world communist revolution and held special expectations for Germany, Marx’s homeland, and for its proletariat.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 19 June 2023
Because the exploited—the proletariat—have nothing to fall back on, nowhere further to sink, their liberation would be the liberation of history from class struggle.
—James Robins, The New Republic, 19 Jan. 2023
Their butler, Adams, is a proletariat.
—Wayne Catan, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for proletariat
Matthew Desmond, The New York Review of Books, 28 Dec. 2023
Inspired by Karl Marx, the Bolsheviks dreamed of a world communist revolution and held special expectations for Germany, Marx’s homeland, and for its proletariat.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 19 June 2023
Because the exploited—the proletariat—have nothing to fall back on, nowhere further to sink, their liberation would be the liberation of history from class struggle.
—James Robins, The New Republic, 19 Jan. 2023
Their butler, Adams, is a proletariat.
—Wayne Catan, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for proletariat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proletariat
Noun
-
After the war, many Iranians hoped things would change and that the government would leverage the nationalistic rally around the flag to introduce a more tenable social contract with the populace.—
CNN Staff,
CNN Money,
9 Jan. 2026
-
The arrest of Maduro, while a monumental relief for the long-oppressed and abused Venezuelan populace, was incidental.—
Anthony Dominguez,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There’s something quite magical, really, about millions of bits of colorful paper flying like snow through the air over a raucous rabble.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
31 Dec. 2025
-
Yeoh and Erivo shield Grande from the subsequent rabble before the cast resumes their walk down the yellow carpet and Wen is dragged away by security.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
14 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The listings networks allow sellers to first list their homes discreetly in a Compass-only network while buyers working with Compass agents ostensibly get a jump on anything good before the broader public sees it.—
Kim Velsey,
Curbed,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Hunter, meanwhile, is excited to meet her new public.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Proletariat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proletariat. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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