BusinessAugust 22, 2026
bourgeoisie
boor-zhwah-ZEE
Definition
The social class that owns the means of production and holds economic and social power, often contrasted with the working class.
Etymology
Derived from the French word 'bourgeois,' referring to an inhabitant of a walled town or 'bourg.' It originally denoted the middle-class town dwellers who emerged during the Middle Ages, eventually evolving to describe the capitalist class in Marxist theory.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe the 'national bourgeoisie,' a capitalist group to which the author argues the union leadership and political parties have subordinated the interests of the working class.
How Chile’s “progressive” government and union bureaucracy covered up the El Teniente disaster
Read the full article ↗World Socialist Web Site