Proletarian is used for a person in the workingdoing paid labor rather than owning property or businesses class or for something connected with the working class. It can be a noun or an adjectivea word that describes a noun or gives its qualities, dependingchanging according to the conditions or situation on how it is used.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /proh-luh-TAIR-ee-uhn/
Easy pronunciation: proh-luh-TAIR-ee-uhn (approximate spelling).
Stress: Primary stress on the third syllable: TAIR.
Noun sense: a member of the working class, especially in a social or political context.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Proletarian Meaning
a working-class person
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a member of the working class, especially in a social or political context
Example: The novel follows a young proletarian struggling to support his family.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- worker — Can work as a general substitute, but it is broader and less specifically social or political.
- prole — An informal short form for a proletarian or working-class person.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Proletarian
Meaning 2
working-class in style, nature, or origin
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: belonging to or characteristic of the proletariat
Example: The film has a strongly proletarian viewpoint.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Proletarian Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- prole
- worker
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes use proletarian to mean simply 'poor,' but it specifically refers to the working class.
- Don't confuse proletarian with proletariat: proletarian is the adjective or a person in that class; proletariat is the class as a whole.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does proletarian mean?
Proletarian means a working-class person, or something connected with the working class.
Is proletarian a noun or adjective?
It can be both. As a noun, it means a member of the working class. As an adjective, it means connected with the proletariat.
What are the synonyms of proletarian?
The closest synonyms are prole and, in some contexts, worker. The best choice depends on whether you mean the noun or adjective sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-16. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.