The working class; people who work for wages and don't own property or businesses.
From Latin 'proletarius' (a member of the lowest class of Roman citizens), from 'proles' (offspring). Karl Marx popularized this term for the working class in modern economies.
Karl Marx predicted the proletariat would eventually overthrow capitalism, but in real life, most countries developed strong middle classes instead—showing that economic predictions are way harder than they seem!
Marxist political vocabulary historically centered male factory workers; women's unpaid domestic and reproductive labor were marginalized in classical leftist analysis, though contemporary intersectional frameworks have corrected this.
When referencing working-class movements, specify inclusion of service workers, care workers, agricultural laborers, and unpaid domestic workers—groups disproportionately female and racialized.
["working class","laboring classes","workers"]
Women textile workers, farmers, and domestic servants drove labor movements that Marxist theory often centered on male factory workers; recognizing their agency is historically accurate.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.