as in middle-class
belonging to the class of people of middle social or economic rank
The neighborhood was occupied primarily by bourgeois families.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bourgeois
In a more simplistic story, Derya and Aziz’s efforts to find a good private school for their daughter would come off as a hopeless bourgeois indulgence.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Jim Dickinson stepped in to produce and play a little piano, but Travis deemed the results too polished, too polite, too bourgeois.
—Stephen M. Deusner, Pitchfork, 8 Feb. 2026
In the 19th century, the rise of bourgeois society in the Industrial Revolution saw the arrival of the necktie.
—Kristina Kukolja, NPR, 21 Jan. 2026
Similar bourgeois mobilizations are happening all over the country.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bourgeois
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026
Jim Dickinson stepped in to produce and play a little piano, but Travis deemed the results too polished, too polite, too bourgeois.
—Stephen M. Deusner, Pitchfork, 8 Feb. 2026
In the 19th century, the rise of bourgeois society in the Industrial Revolution saw the arrival of the necktie.
—Kristina Kukolja, NPR, 21 Jan. 2026
Similar bourgeois mobilizations are happening all over the country.
—Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bourgeois
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bourgeois
Adjective
-
Perhaps most striking, the collective Ivy League admission rate, when controlled for test scores, is actually lowest for middle-class students—those whose parents fall between the 65th and 90th income percentiles.—
Christopher Rim,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
The group is also pushing for rebuilding efforts that preserve the character of this historically Black, middle-class community.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Tony winner Danny Burstein turned the question back on the Variety interviewer as a joke, pitching a story about a working-class kid from Brooklyn who ends up an awards editor.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
19 May 2026
-
In elementary school classrooms and on the streets of working-class Queens, New York, in the 1980s and ‘90s, the American Dream was our north star.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
These tiny, plant-feeding arachnids hide in plain sight.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
-
The Vantamo Quilted Crossbody Bag has thoughtful security features like RFID-blocking card slots and an anti-pickpocket zipper clip, yet still looks chic rather than a boring, plain option.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bourgeois.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bourgeois. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
