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
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
Unlike the proletarians whom Karl Marx exhorted to shed their chains, most people have rather a lot to lose.
—Yascha Mounk, Slate Magazine, 16 Mar. 2017
What if a roving band of mutant proletarians suddenly shows up at the front door?
—John Carl Baker, New Republic, 14 July 2017
Noun
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
Unlike the proletarians whom Karl Marx exhorted to shed their chains, most people have rather a lot to lose.
—Yascha Mounk, Slate Magazine, 16 Mar. 2017
What if a roving band of mutant proletarians suddenly shows up at the front door?
—John Carl Baker, New Republic, 14 July 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proletarian
Adjective
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New York City and Philadelphia were expected to hit the mid-50s Sunday and low 60s by Wednesday.Susan Miller, USA TODAY, 9 Dec. 2024
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Alabama’s ceiling looked higher, but its floor looked lower.Chris Vannini, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
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But an unpleasant incident with a public transit plebeian leads Leighton to ponder the direction of her life.Rachel Seo, Variety, 2 Dec. 2024
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May 31 is International Flight Attendant Day, but like us plebeians, most flight attendants circle Black Friday on their calendars first.Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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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
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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
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Maureen loathed that her daughter had married a commoner, and a Jew at that.Negar Azimi, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2024
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The first is the secession of the plebeians, where commoners staged a walkout in protest of unfair treatment by the ruling class.Phil Kirschner, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Chapter 1: The Rise of Scribe Media Scribe Media started in 2014 as the humbler, niche-sounding Book in a Box.Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
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Just a few steps up the hill is a humble boulangerie that punches far above its weight; Le Fornil de Mon Père has been making bread and pastries in the area for eight decades.Michael Venutolo-Mantovani, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Dec. 2024
Noun
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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
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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
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In addition, touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands after touching raw milk with bird flu virus may also lead to infection.Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
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Bird flu can be contracted when drinking raw milk from an infected cow, when raw milk from an infected cow is splashed into the eyes, nose or mouth, or by touching the eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands after contact with raw milk from an infected cow.Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 28 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Following building and loan manager George Bailey on an odyssey of rediscovery, the film continues to hold a place in the hearts of multiple generations with its message of value and appreciation for the everyman in America just trying to help his fellow neighbor get by.Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 7 Dec. 2024
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Hartnett’s working-class suburban dad looks like a blandly handsome everyman attending a concert with his 12-year-old daughter, Riley (Ariel Donoghue), and then — bam!Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near proletarian
Cite this Entry
“Proletarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proletarian. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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