/ ˌprəʊləˈteəriət; NAmE ˌproʊləˈter-/ noun
[ sing.+ sing./pl. v . ] ( technical ) (used especially when talking about the past) the class of ordinary people who earn money by working, especially those who do not own any property
—compare bourgeoisie
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 19th cent.: from French prolétariat , from Latin proletarius (from proles offspring), denoting a person having no wealth in property, who only served the state by producing offspring.