What does "bourgeois" mean?
The middle class.
Bourgeois
/ˈbɔːʒ.wɑː/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The middle class.
- Grammar: bourgeois is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: accordant, anal, anal character, arriviste.
- Useful contrasts: baronial, avant-garde, bohemians.
- Usage evidence: The term "bourgeois" can be used as an insult by both the lower and the upper classes.
How to use "bourgeois"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "bourgeois" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "bourgeois" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "bourgeois" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "bourgeois" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "bourgeois" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "accordant" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "bourgeois", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The middle class. collective, plural-normally, uncountable, usually
- 2 A size of type between brevier and long primer, standardized as 9-point. dated, uncountable
- 3 a member of the middle class wordnet
- 4 An individual member of the middle class. rare, uncountable, usually
- 5 a capitalist who engages in industrial commercial enterprise wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A person of any class with bourgeois (i.e., overly conventional and materialistic) values and attitudes. derogatory, uncountable, usually
- 7 An individual member of the bourgeoisie, the third estate of the French Ancien Regime. uncountable, usually
- 8 A capitalist, (usually derogatory) an exploiter of the proletariat. Marxism, uncountable, usually
"Der Bourgeois sieht in seiner Frau ein bloßes Produktionsinstrument. Er hört, daß die Produktionsinstrumente gemeinschaftlich ausgebeutet werden sollen, und kann sich natürlich nichts anderes denken, als daß das Los der Gemeinschaftlichkeit die Weiber gleichfalls treffen wird."
Verb
- 1 To make bourgeois. transitive
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to the middle class (often derogatory), and their presumed overly conventional, conservative, and materialistic values.
"bourgeois opinion"
- 2 Of or relating to the bourgeoisie, the third estate of the French Ancien Regime. historical
- 3 Of or relating to the capitalist class, (usually derogatory) the capitalist exploitation of the proletariat. Marxism
Adjective
- 1 belonging to the middle class wordnet
- 2 conforming to the standards and conventions of the middle class wordnet
- 3 (according to Marxist thought) being of the property-owning class and exploitive of the working class wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from French.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The term "bourgeois" can be used as an insult by both the lower and the upper classes."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "bourgeois"?
Common synonyms include: accordant, anal, anal character, arriviste, average, average man.
How do you use "bourgeois" in a sentence?
The term "bourgeois" can be used as an insult by both the lower and the upper classes.
How do you pronounce "bourgeois"?
Pronounced /ˈbɔːʒ.wɑː/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Unadapted borrowing from French bourgeois (“a class of citizens who were wealthier members of the Third Estate”), from Old French burgeis (“town dweller”), from Frankish *burg, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *burgz (“stronghold; city”) (whence borough). Doublet of burgess; compare also burgish.
Etymology 2
From Middle English burjois, from French Bourgois, probably from Bourges (a city in France) + -ois (forming adjectives) but possibly from bourgeois above or after Jean de Bourgeois who worked as a printer in Rouen c. 1500.