the bourgeoisie
noun /ðə ˌbʊəʒwɑːˈziː/
/ðə ˌbʊrʒwɑːˈziː/
[singular + singular or plural verb]- the middle classes in society
- the rise of the bourgeoisie in the nineteenth century
- (politics) the capitalist class
- the proletariat and the bourgeoisie
Word Originearly 18th cent.: French, from bourgeois.