bourgeois
Other forms: bourgeoises
The adjective bourgeois means relating to or typical of the middle class. If someone says, "Oh, how bourgeois!" it's probably an insult, meaning you're preoccupied with middle-class small-mindedness.
As a noun, a bourgeois is a member of the middle class, originally a member of the middle class in France. The word was borrowed from French, from Old French burgeis "citizen of a town," from borc "town, village," from Latin burgus "fortress, castle." The derived word bourgeoisie "the middle class" is a later borrowing from French.
Definitions of bourgeois
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(according to Marxist thought) being of the property-owning class and exploitive of the working classsynonyms:
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belonging to the middle classsynonyms:middle-classoccupying a socioeconomic position intermediate between those of the lower classes and the wealthy
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conforming to the standards and conventions of the middle class“a bourgeois mentality”synonyms: conservative, materialisticmiddle-classoccupying a socioeconomic position intermediate between those of the lower classes and the wealthy
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a member of the middle classsynonyms: burghertypes:petit bourgeoisa member of the lower middle classtype of:
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a capitalist who engages in industrial commercial enterprisesynonyms: businesspersontypes:account executive, account representative, customer's broker, customer's man, registered representativesomeone in charge of a client's account for an advertising agency or brokerage or other service businessbusinessman, man of affairsa person engaged in commercial or industrial business (especially an owner or executive)businesswomana female businesspersonexportera businessperson who transports goods abroad (for sale)importersomeone whose business involves importing goods from outside (especially from a foreign country)shippersomeone who ships goodsauctioneeran agent who conducts an auctionamalgamatora businessman who arranges an amalgamation of two or more commercial companiesarb, arbitrager, arbitrageursomeone who engages in arbitrage (who purchases securities in one market for immediate resale in another in the hope of profiting from the price differential)auditora qualified accountant who inspects the accounting records and practices of a business or other organizationbakersomeone who bakes commerciallybaron, big businessman, business leader, king, magnate, mogul, power, top executive, tycoona very wealthy or powerful businessmanbean counteran accountant or bureaucrat who is believed to place undue emphasis on the control of expendituresblack marketeersomeone who engages illegally in trade in scarce or controlled commoditiesbookkeepersomeone who records the transactions of a businesscaterersomeone who provides food and service (as for a party)CPA, certified public accountantan accountant who has passed certain examinations and met all other statutory and licensing requirements of a United States state to be certified by that statechartered accountanta British or Canadian accountant who is a member of a professional body that has a royal charterconnectiona supplier (especially of narcotics)cost accountanta specialist in the systematic recording and analysis of the costs incident to productiondispensera person who dispensesgrain merchanta merchant who deals in food grainsgrocera retail merchant who sells foodstuffs (and some household supplies)industrialistsomeone who manages or has significant financial interest in an industrial enterpriseoilmana person who owns or operates oil wellsoperatorsomeone who owns or operates a businesspurveyorsomeone who supplies provisions (especially food)estate agent, house agent, land agent, real estate agent, real estate brokera person who is authorized to act as an agent for the sale of landrecruitersomeone who supplies members or employeesrug merchanta merchant who sells rugsmarketer, seller, trafficker, vender, vendorsomeone who promotes or exchanges goods or services for moneyship brokeran agent for the ship owner; obtains cargo and may arrange for its loading or dischargesmall businessmana businessman who runs a business employing less than 100 peoplestockbrokeran agent in the buying and selling of stocks and bondsstockistone (as a retailer or distributor) that stocks goodssuit(slang) a businessman dressed in a business suitsyndicone appointed to represent a city or university or corporation in business transactionssyndicatora businessman who forms a syndicatebargainer, dealer, monger, tradersomeone who purchases and maintains an inventory of goods to be soldtransactorsomeone who conducts or carries on business or negotiationstravel agentsomeone who sells or arranges trips or tours for customersmerchant-venturer, venturera merchant who undertakes a trading venture (especially a venture that sends goods overseas)type of:capitalista person who invests capital in a business (especially a large business)
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Vocabulary lists containing bourgeois
A Raisin in the Sun
In the 1940s, a working class African-American family in Chicago must decide how to best spend a ten-thousand dollar insurance payout.