bourgeois

English

Alternative forms

• burgeois

Etymology 1

Borrowed from French bourgeois (“a class of citizens who were wealthier members of the Third Estate”), from Old French burgeis (“town dweller”), from Frankish *burg, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *burgz (“stronghold; city”) (whence borough). Doublet of burgess; compare also burgish.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbɔːʒ.wɑː/, /ˈbʊəʒ.wɑː/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /bʊɹʒˈwɑː/, /ˈbʊəʒ.wɑː/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)ʒwɑː, -ʊə(ɹ)ʒwɑː, -ɑː

Adjective

bourgeois (comparative more bourgeois, superlative most bourgeois)

1. Of or relating to the middle class, (often derogatory) their presumed overly conventional, conservative, and materialistic values.

   bourgeois opinion

2. (historical) Of or relating to the bourgeoisie, the third estate of the French Ancien Regime.
3. (Marxism) Of or relating to the capitalist class, (usually derogatory) the capitalist exploitation of the proletariat.

Synonyms

• (conventional, conservative): square

Derived terms

• bougie
• bourgeoisification
• bourgeoisify
• bourgie
• de-bourgeoisify

Translations

Noun

bourgeois (usually uncountable, plural bourgeois)

1. (politics, collectively, usually in the plural) The middle class.
2. (rare) An individual member of the middle class.
3. (usually derogatory) A person of any class with bourgeois (i.e., overly conventional and materialistic) values and attitudes.
4. (history) An individual member of the bourgeoisie, the third estate of the French Ancien Regime.
5. (Marxism) A capitalist, (usually derogatory) an exploiter of the proletariat.

Related terms

Translations

Verb

bourgeois (third-person singular simple present bourgeoises, present participle bourgeoising, simple past and past participle bourgeoised)

1. (transitive) To make bourgeois.

Further reading

• "bourgeois" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 45.

Etymology 2

From Middle English burjois, from French Bourgois, probably from Bourges (“the French city”) + -ois (“forming adjectives”) but possibly from bourgeois above or after Jean de Bourgeois who worked as a printer in Rouen c. 1500.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /bəːˈdʒɔɪs/
• (US) IPA^(key): /bəɹˈd͡ʒɔɪs/, enPR: bər-ʹjois
• Rhymes: -ɔɪs

Noun

bourgeois (uncountable)

1. (printing, dated) A size of type between brevier and long primer, standardized as 9-point.

Synonyms

• (Continental printing): galliard

Derived terms

• double bourgeois

Translations

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French bourgeois.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /burˈʒʋaː/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: bour‧geois
• Rhymes: -aː

Noun

bourgeois m (plural bourgeois, diminutive bourgeoistje n)

1. bourgeois

Related terms

• bourgeoisie
• burgerij

Descendants

• → Indonesian: borjuis

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French bourgois, from Old French borgeis (“town dweller”), from borc (“fortified place, town”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *burgz (“fortress”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰérǵʰs (“fortified elevation”).

The path from Proto-Germanic to Old French is unclear. Perhaps via Frankish *burg or Late Latin burgus, or possibly both, and probably through the Late Latin intermediate burgensis. Compare Italian borghese, Portuguese burguês, Spanish burgués.

By surface analysis, bourg +‎ -ois.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /buʁ.ʒwa/

• audio

  (file)

Adjective

bourgeois (feminine bourgeoise, masculine plural bourgeois, feminine plural bourgeoises)

1. bourgeois

Derived terms

• bourgeoisement
• embourgeoiser

Noun

bourgeois m (plural bourgeois, feminine bourgeoise)

1. A member of the middle class
   • 1680, Molière, “Acte IV, Scene V”, in Le Bourgeois gentilhomme [The Middle-Class Aristocrat]‎, page 89:

     Le Mufti commande aux Turcs de baſtonner le Bourgeois, […]

     The mufti orders the Turks to batter the bourgeois,

2. bourgeois
3. (archaic) an inhabitant of a town or city
4. (archaic) someone who belongs to neither the aristocratic, clerical, nor military classes

Synonyms

• bourge (slang)

Derived terms

• bourgeoisie
• parloir aux bourgeois

Descendants

Further reading

• “bourgeois”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé , 2012.

German

Etymology

Borrowed from French bourgeois, name for a wealthy class of French citizens in the late 18th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʊrˈʒu̯aː/, , , (standard; basic form)
• IPA^(key): /bʊrˈʒu̯aːz-/ (standard; inflected forms)
• IPA^(key): /bʊrˈʃu̯aː(s-)/ (often in southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland)

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

bourgeois (strong nominative masculine singular bourgeoiser, comparative bourgeoiser, superlative am bourgeoisesten)

1. bourgeois
2. snobbish, elitist (in the context of the upper middle class)

Declension

See also

• Bourgeoisie
• bürgerlich
• proletarisch

Further reading

• “bourgeois” in Duden online
• “bourgeois” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache