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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of proletariat
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
Now a college degree is the most reliable indicator of Democratic preference; the proletariat is dependably Republican.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 9 Jan. 2023
The numerically ascending service proletariat is frankly irrelevant in setting the terms of debate in our polity.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2013
The early republican army was one of freeborn citizens, and even after the Marian reforms which opened up the army to the proletariat the Roman legions were draw from the citizenry.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 6 Jan. 2013
See all Example Sentences for proletariat 
James Robins, The New Republic, 19 Jan. 2023
Now a college degree is the most reliable indicator of Democratic preference; the proletariat is dependably Republican.
—Gerard Baker, WSJ, 9 Jan. 2023
The numerically ascending service proletariat is frankly irrelevant in setting the terms of debate in our polity.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 20 Jan. 2013
The early republican army was one of freeborn citizens, and even after the Marian reforms which opened up the army to the proletariat the Roman legions were draw from the citizenry.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 6 Jan. 2013
See all Example Sentences for proletariat
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proletariat
Noun
-
Meanwhile, the birth rate has dipped to just 1.4 children per woman, portending a shrinking, aging populace.—
By Charlie Campbell/Gelephu, Bhutan,
TIME,
16 Jan. 2025
-
Now Maduro is determined that the populace that humiliated him on election day must pay.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
21 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
There was little-to-no doubt Jurgen Klopp’s side were going to defeat Ralf Rangnick’s under-interim-management rabble that day.—
Carl Anka,
The Athletic,
4 Jan. 2025
-
Advertisement From start to finish, pure madness, amid a rabble that never calmed, never quieted, never quit.—
Bill Plaschke,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
For 70 years, this country has spent the time in capturing heads of cartels and putting a head shot to the American public.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
-
Scholl’s goal is not just to bring supersonic travel back to the flying public, but to do it at scale, at a cost per seat no greater than business travelers pay today—a quarter of what the old Concorde passengers had to pony up.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
TIME,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Many people, including late night host Jimmy Fallon, compared Melania's look to The Hamburglar's.—
Kristen Waggoner,
Newsweek,
22 Jan. 2025
-
The infamous dark web marketplace served as a global hub for illicit drug sales that prosecutors said had contributed to the death of at least six people.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
22 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to proletariat
Thesaurus Entries Near proletariat
Cite this Entry
“Proletariat.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proletariat. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share