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Webster 1913 Edition

Bourgeois

Bour-geois′

,
Noun.
[From a French type founder named
Bourgeois
, or fr. F.
bourgeois
of the middle class; hence applied to an intermediate size of type between brevier and long primer: cf. G.
bourgeois
,
borgis
. Cf.
Burgess
.]
(Print.)
A size of type between long primer and brevier. See
Type
.
☞
This line is printed in bourgeois type.
‖

Bour-geois′

,
Noun.
[F., fr.
bourg
town; of German origin. See
Burgess
.]
A man of middle rank in society; one of the shopkeeping class.
[France.]
Adj.
Characteristic of the middle class, as in France.

Webster 1828 Edition

Bourgeois

BOURGEOIS'

,
Noun.
burjois'. A small kind of printing types, in size between long primer and brevier. The type on which the main body of this work is printed.

Definition 2024

bourgeois

bourgeois

English

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈbɔːʒ.wɑː/, /ˈbʊəʒ.wɑː/
  • (US) IPA(key): /bu(ɹ)ʒ.ˈwɑː/, /ˈbu(ɹ)ʒ.wɑː/, /ˈbʊəʒ.wɑː/

Adjective

bourgeois ‎(comparative more bourgeois, superlative most bourgeois)

  1. Of or relating to the middle class, (chiefly pejorative) 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 pejorative) the capitalist exploitation of the proletariat.
Derived terms
Synonyms
  • (conventional, conservative): square
Translations

Noun

bourgeois ‎(usually uncountable, plural bourgeois)

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

Etymology 2

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

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /bəːˈdʒɔɪs/
  • (US) IPA(key): /bərˈdʒɔɪs/, enPR: bər-ʹjois

Noun

bourgeois ‎(uncountable)

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

Dutch

Pronunciation

Etymology

Borrowing from French bourgeois.

Noun

bourgeois m ‎(plural bourgeois, diminutive bourgeoistje n)

  1. bourgeois

Related terms

French

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman burgeis ‎(“town dweller”), from Old French borjois, from borc ‎(“town”), from Proto-Germanic *burgz ‎(“fortress”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrgʰ- ‎(“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.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /buʁ.ʒwa/

Adjective

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

  1. bourgeois

Derived terms

Noun

bourgeois m ‎(plural bourgeois, feminine bourgeoise)

  1. member of the middle class
  2. bourgeois

Synonyms

  • bourge (slang)

Derived terms

German

Etymology

From French, itself from a Germanic origin.

Adjective

bourgeois ‎(comparative bourgeoiser, superlative am bourgeoisesten)

  1. bourgeois

Declension

Comparative forms of bourgeois
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter all genders
predicative er ist bourgeoiser sie ist bourgeoiser es ist bourgeoiser sie sind bourgeoiser
strong declension
(without article)		 nominative bourgeoiserer bourgeoisere bourgeoiseres bourgeoisere
genitive bourgeoiseren bourgeoiserer bourgeoiseren bourgeoiserer
dative bourgeoiserem bourgeoiserer bourgeoiserem bourgeoiseren
accusative bourgeoiseren bourgeoisere bourgeoiseres bourgeoisere
weak declension
(with definite article)		 nominative der bourgeoisere die bourgeoisere das bourgeoisere die bourgeoiseren
genitive des bourgeoiseren der bourgeoiseren des bourgeoiseren der bourgeoiseren
dative dem bourgeoiseren der bourgeoiseren dem bourgeoiseren den bourgeoiseren
accusative den bourgeoiseren die bourgeoisere das bourgeoisere die bourgeoiseren
mixed declension
(with indefinite article)		 nominative ein bourgeoiserer eine bourgeoisere ein bourgeoiseres (keine) bourgeoiseren
genitive eines bourgeoiseren einer bourgeoiseren eines bourgeoiseren (keiner) bourgeoiseren
dative einem bourgeoiseren einer bourgeoiseren einem bourgeoiseren (keinen) bourgeoiseren
accusative einen bourgeoiseren eine bourgeoisere ein bourgeoiseres (keine) bourgeoiseren

Etymology

Borrowing from French bourgeois ‎(“a class of citizens who were wealthier members of the Third Estate”), from Anglo-Norman burgeis ‎(“town dweller”), from Old French borjois, from borc ‎(“town”), from Proto-Germanic *burgz ‎(“fortress”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrgʰ- ‎(“fortified elevation”). The path from Proto-Germanic to Old French is unclear. Perhaps via Frankish *burg or Late Latin *burgus, or possibly both. See also the related word burgess.

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