peasant

noun

peas·​ant ˈpe-zᵊnt 

1

: a member of a European class of persons tilling the soil as small landowners or as laborers

This land was farmed by peasants for centuries.

also : a member of a similar class elsewhere

2

: a usually uneducated person of low social status

They treated us like a bunch of peasants.

Examples of peasant in a Sentence

They treated us like a bunch of peasants.

Recent Examples on the Web

This cotton peasant blouse may be simple, but it’s also guaranteed to become one of the most versatile pieces in your closet. —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2025

By March 1525, the peasant armies had grown to encompass tens of thousands of peasants from Alsace to Austria and from Switzerland to Saxony. —Michael Bruening, The Conversation, 25 Feb. 2025

On Pius’s death in 1958, the papacy went to the plump, joyous Angelo Roncalli, a brilliant peasant who had climbed the ranks to become a Vatican diplomat and who took the papal name John XXIII. —Mary Jo McConahay, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025

Félix tested his tool on local peasants, killing several in the process. —Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English paissaunt, from Anglo-French paisant, pesaunt, from pais, paiis country, from Late Latin pagensis inhabitant of a district, from Latin pagus district; akin to Latin pangere to fix — more at pact

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for peasant

• pheasant
• pleasant
• present
• omnipresent
• unpleasant

Kids Definition

peasant

noun

peas·​ant ˈpez-ᵊnt 

1

: a European small farmer or farm laborer

2

: a member of a similar agricultural class elsewhere