bourgeois

Bourgeois is a term used in sociology, political theory, and cultural criticism to describe either the middle class or the cultural norms associated with it. As a noun, it refers to a member of the bourgeoisie; as an adjective, it relates to the bourgeoisie or to bourgeois values and tastes. The word comes from Old French burgeis, meaning town dweller, from burg “town” or “borough,” with roots in Germanic languages; in English it entered usage in the early modern period via French.

Historically, the term reflects the rise of urban commerce in medieval Europe, where a mercantile urban class known as the bourgeoisie emerged in towns and guilds. With the spread of capitalism from the early modern era onward, the bourgeoisie came to denote those who own the means of production and thus hold significant economic and political power relative to workers.

In Marxist theory, the bourgeoisie is the capitalist class that controls capital and productive resources, shaping social relations and the state, in opposition to the proletariat, the class of wage earners. The term also appears in broader political economy and socialist critique to signal class interests and the culture associated with wealth accumulation.

In contemporary English, bourgeois can describe middle-class life, values, or consumer patterns, often with neutral or critical connotations about conformity or materialism. It is used in phrases such as bourgeois culture, bourgeois values, or petite bourgeoisie to refer to smaller-scale capitalists, and it frequently features in discussions of social stratification and urban life.

Related concepts include the bourgeoisie, petite bourgeoisie, bourgeois liberalism, and consumer society.