proletarian

/ˌˈproʊləˌˈtɛriən/

Other forms: proletarians

Working class, blue collar, plebeian and certainly not aristocratic — that's what the adjective proletarian means.

Proletarian has roots in the Latin word proles, which means "offspring." That's because back in ancient Rome, a proletarian was a member of the proletariat, the class of society that had no wealth and didn't own property. The only thing these proletarians had to offer was their hard work and their children. Today's proletarians are a little better off; they're considered the working class and just might have better benefits through their unions than some white-collar workers out there.

Definitions of proletarian

1. adjective

   belonging to or characteristic of the proletariat
   synonyms:

   low-class, lower-class

   occupying the lowest socioeconomic position in a society
2. noun

   a member of the working class (not necessarily employed)
   synonyms: prole, worker

   types:

   dogsbody

   a worker who has to do all the unpleasant or boring jobs that no one else wants to do

   type of:

   common man, common person, commoner

   a person who holds no title