proletarius

Proletarius is a Latin term that functions as an adjective and noun meaning “belonging to the proletariat” or “a member of the proletariat.” In ancient Rome, it designated the lowest class of citizens who possessed little or no property beyond their offspring. The word derives from proles, “offspring,” reflecting the idea that the primary contribution of this group to the state was bearing children rather than accruing wealth or land. The proletarii were distinguished within the broader plebeian and citizen populations by their minimal material wealth, and their social and political status varied across periods of Roman history.

In the Roman social order, the exact definition and rights of the proletarii changed with reforms and shifting property norms. They could be mobilized for military service under certain conditions, but their influence in political life was generally limited compared with wealthier classes. The term appears in classical and scholarly discussions as a way to mark a specific, relatively impoverished segment of Roman society, whose defining feature was material modesty rather than a formal lack of citizenship.

In modern usage, proletarius is chiefly of interest as the etymological root of the word proletarian. The Greek and Latin roots gave rise to the English term proletarian, which in Marxist and sociological discourse refers to workers who do not own significant means of production and must sell their labor. The Latin plural form is proletarii; the feminine is proletaria.