The proletariat refers to the working class in a capitalist society, particularly those who do not own the means of production and must sell their labor power to capitalists or employers in exchange for wages. Historically, the term was used by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels to describe the social class composed of wage laborers who were exploited by capitalist owners of businesses and industries. The proletariat typically includes factory workers, laborers, service workers, and others who work for wages rather than owning or controlling productive assets. According to Marxist theory, the proletariat is the revolutionary class with the potential to overthrow the capitalist system and establish a socialist or communist society based on collective ownership of the means of production. While the term has evolved over time and may have different connotations in contemporary discourse, it continues to be used to describe the working class and their role in the social and economic structure of society.
A social class comprising those who do manual labour or work for wages.
Workers or working-class people, regarded collectively (often used with reference to Marxism). The proletariat ( from Latin proletarius “producing offspring”) is the class of wage-earners in an economic society whose only possession of significant material value is their labour-power (how much work they can do).
- The working-class or lower class.
- The wage-earners collectively, excluding salaried workers.
- history In ancient Rome, the lowest class of citizens, who had no property.
A term used to describe the lower working-class, which is mostly composed of wage workers. Each civilization categorises the group differently. Some consider only destitute individuals as proletariat and some consider any wage worker as the proletariat. The term is derived from the Marxist ideology, which is based on Karl Marx’ Communist Manifesto.
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This glossary post was last updated: 29th March, 2024.
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