bourgeois

Meanings

Adjective

• Of or relating to the middle class, their presumed overly conventional, conservative, and materialistic values.
• Of or relating to the bourgeoisie, the third estate of the French Ancien Regime.
• Of or relating to the capitalist class, the capitalist exploitation of the proletariat.

Noun

• The middle class.
• An individual member of the middle class.
• A person of any class with bourgeois (i.e., overly conventional and materialistic) values and attitudes.
• An individual member of the bourgeoisie, the third estate of the French Ancien Regime.
• A capitalist, an exploiter of the proletariat.
• A size of type between brevier and long primer, standardized as 9-point.

Verb

• To make bourgeois.

Related

Similar words

• square
• galliard

Origin

• Borrowed from French bourgeois ("a class of citizens who were wealthier members of the Third Estate"), from Old French burgeis ("town dweller"), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *burgz ("stronghold; city") (whence borough). burgess; compare also burgish.
• From Middle English burjois, from French Bourgois, probably from Bourges + -ois but possibly from bourgeois above or from Jean de Bouregois who worked as a printer in Rouen c. 1500.