bourgeois

What does “bourgeois” mean?

adjective.characteristic of the middle class, typically with reference to its perceived materialistic values or conventional attitudes.

SAT Usage

This term often appears in passages discussing social class, economic status, or cultural critique. It implies a critique of materialism and conventionality associated with the middle class, highlighting a tension between aspiration and mediocrity, which distinguishes it from terms like "proletarian," which emphasize working-class identity without the same connotations of materialistic values.

Common Confusions

Bourgeois implies a critique of middle-class materialism and conventionality, while proletarian usually suggests a focus on the working class and its struggles without the same emphasis on materialistic values.

Example Sentences

• The novel satirized the bourgeois obsession with status.