Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
precariat. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
precariat, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
precariat in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
precariat you have here. The definition of the word
precariat will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
precariat, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
Blend of precarious + proletariat, popularized by economist Guy Standing in his book The Precariat (2011).
Pronunciation
Noun
precariat (countable and uncountable, plural precariats)
- (sociology, collective) People suffering from precarity, especially as a social class; people living a precarious existence, without security or predictability, especially job security.
2011 June 1, Guy Standing, “Who will be a voice for the emerging precariat?”, in The Guardian:The global precariat is not yet a class in the Marxian sense, being internally divided and only united in fears and insecurities. But it is a class in the making, approaching a consciousness of common vulnerability.
:Professor Luce characterized the protesters who had problems finding full-time work as part of an emerging demographic that some commentators call the “precariat” — educated people forced into unsteady or insecure jobs because little else is available.]
2014 February 11, David Brooks, “The American Precariat”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:The American Precariat seems more hunkered down, insecure, risk averse, relying on friends and family but without faith in American possibilities. This fatalism is historically uncharacteristic of America.
2017 December 2, Jessica Bruder, “Living in cars, working for Amazon: meet America's new nomads”, in The Guardian:My first encounter with one group of the new nomads came in 2013, at the Desert Rose RV park in Fernley, Nevada. It was populated by members of the “precariat”: temporary laborers doing short-term jobs in exchange for low wages.
2019 December 13, David Brooks, “The Politics of Exhaustion”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:Second, there is the precariat. These are the young and educated voters caught in the gig economy, who see no career security ahead.
Translations
Further reading