The middle class in society, particularly the property-owning class in a capitalist system. In Marxist theory, the class that owns the means of production and employs wage labor.
From French 'bourgeoisie,' the collective noun form of 'bourgeois.' Became prominent in political discourse through Marx and Engels' analysis of class struggle in capitalist societies.
The '-ie' ending makes this the GROUP of people (like 'bourgeois + family'). Think of it as the whole social class, while 'bourgeois' describes their attitudes and lifestyle.
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