bourgeoisie

UK: /ˌbʊə^rʒwɑːˈziː/

US: /ˌbʊrʒwɑˈzi/

US: (bŏŏr′zhwä zē′; Fr. bo̅o̅r zhwa zē′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

bour•geoi•sie /ˌbʊrʒwɑˈzi/   n. [uncountable* usually: the + ~]

1. Government the middle class.
2. Government (in Marxist theory) the property-owning capitalist class, who by definition are in conflict with the working class.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

bour•geoi•sie  (bŏŏr′zhwä zē′; Fr. bo̅o̅r zhwa zē′), n. 

1. Business, Government the bourgeois class.
2. Government, Business (in Marxist theory) the class that, in contrast to the proletariat or wage-earning class, is primarily concerned with property values.

• French; see bourgeois¹, -y³
• 1700–10

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

bourgeoisie / ˌbʊəʒwɑːˈziː/ noun the bourgeoisie ⇒

1. the middle classes
2. (in Marxist thought) the ruling class of the two basic classes of capitalist society, consisting of capitalists, manufacturers, bankers, and other employers. The bourgeoisie owns the most important of the means of production, through which it exploits the working class