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
As is the case with the aesthetics of people, exquisite lines can be found on patrician and proletariat cars alike.
—
Robert Ross, Robb Report, 21 Feb. 2025
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
Their butler, Adams, is a proletariat.
—Wayne Catan, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2022
See All Example Sentences for proletariat
Robert Ross, Robb Report, 21 Feb. 2025
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
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
-
People Acting Like Others When the TV series Star Trek initially gained popularity, a segment of the populace admired the tenor and nature of the Spock character.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Assayas portrays the Russian populace as merely manipulated, as if voters were blank slates for effective propaganda rather than people with moral compasses, capacities for judgment and humanity, ideas and opinions that demagogues recognize and stoke.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
In her cell, surrounded by her fellow rabble-rousing women, Deborah works the room.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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How dare the lowly rabble at Fenway Park treat our esteemed mayor and governor with such disrespect!—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Wall Street, employees and the business public greeted the choice favorably, despite the many challenges facing Disney’s new leader and all legacy media companies.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
-
American and global health officials have stressed throughout the outbreak that the risk to the wider public is low and that transmission is limited to close contact.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Proletariat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proletariat. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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