Agency Dictionary
Subproletarian
adjectivePronunciation: /ˌsʌb.proʊ.lɪˈtɛər.i.ən/
In Portuguese: Subproletário
Society & Politics
Economics & FinanceWhat does “Subproletarian” mean?
Relating to or belonging to an impoverished social stratum positioned below the regular industrial working class.
Etymology
Formed from the Latin prefix sub-, "under, below", and proletarian. Proletarian comes from Latin proletarius, the name for a citizen of the lowest class in Rome, whose only contribution to the state was said to be offspring (proles). The prefix places this group below the regular working class, in a stratum without stable employment or formal economic participation.
Usage note
A term of Marxist social analysis. The related lumpenproletariat, from German, names roughly the same group but carries a connotation of disorder.
Word family
- proletarian
- proletariat
- subproletariat
Rhymes with
- agrarian
- barbarian
- librarian
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
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