Bourgeoisie
noun /ˌbʊər.ʒwɑːˈziː/ — The middle class, especially as defined by its materialistic values.
Definition
The middle class in capitalist society — particularly with reference to its materialistic values, conventional attitudes, and tendency to prioritise property and social respectability. In Marxist theory, the bourgeoisie are the class that owns the means of production.
Beyond the definition
Bourgeoisie is a word used always to describe someone else. The middle class never identifies itself as the middle class. Everyone believes they are either richer or poorer than the category applies to.
Origin & history
French: 'bourg' (town, borough). The burgher — the town dweller — who was neither aristocrat nor peasant but something new: the urban merchant, the property owner, the professional.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The revolution was supposed to end bourgeois values — and instead produced a new bourgeoisie with different furniture.
Her upbringing was firmly bourgeois: private school, piano lessons, a sense that a certain kind of life was both possible and expected.
The bohemian is always in flight from the bourgeoisie, which is why they often end up becoming it.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Bourgeoisie” when the meaning fits your context: The middle class in capitalist society — particularly with reference to its materialistic values, conventional attitudes, and tendency to prioritise property and social respectability. In Marxist theory, the bourgeoisie are the class that owns the means of production.
Synonyms
middle class, merchant class, propertied class
Antonyms
proletariat, aristocracy, working class
Related words
Bourgeoisie vs middle class
Bourgeoisie is often used in political contexts to describe the capitalist class who own the means of production. Middle class is a general socioeconomic term for individuals with moderate income.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Staged Brunch Table Setting
Friends stage a stylish brunch photograph in an upscale café with an elaborate latte.
The concern with stylish presentation, materialistic values, and social respectability depicted in the brunch setting embodies the conventional attitudes historically associated with the bourgeoisie.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Bourgeoisie" mean?
Bourgeoisie is noun meaning: The middle class, especially as defined by its materialistic values.. The middle class in capitalist society — particularly with reference to its materialistic values, conventional attitudes, and tendency to prioritise property and social respectability. In Marxist theory, the bourgeoisie are the class that owns the means of production.
Where does the word "Bourgeoisie" come from?
French: 'bourg' (town, borough). The burgher — the town dweller — who was neither aristocrat nor peasant but something new: the urban merchant, the property owner, the professional.