lumpenproletariat
The lowest stratum of the proletariat, whose mental and physical health, mores and…The lowest stratum of the proletariat, whose mental and physical health, mores and morale have deteriorated, through exploitation by the bourgeoisie, to a degree where they cannot build class consciousness and hence cannot be mobilized for the revolution.
» The city's Lumpenproletariat survives through begging, theft, and casual labor.
Meaning
2 senses(Marxism)The lowest stratum of the proletariat, whose mental and physical health, mores and morale have deteriorated, through exploitation by the bourgeoisie, to a degree where they cannot build class consciousness and hence cannot be mobilized for the revolution.
Lumpenproletariat
лю́мпен-пролетариа́тljúmpen-proletariát
A social underclass; the riffraff.
- (Marxism) the unorganized lower levels of the proletariat who are not interested in revolutionary advancement
Examples
7 sentencesThe city's Lumpenproletariat survives through begging, theft, and casual labor.
The party tried to recruit workers but distrusted the Lumpenproletariat.
Marx used Lumpenproletariat to describe people outside the organized working class.
Lev et al. argue that the Lumpenproletariat can be politically unstable.
Simeon used the term Lumpenproletariat too loosely, applying it to anyone poor.
Translations
6 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
Unadapted borrowing from German Lumpenproletariat.Unadapted borrowing from German Lumpenproletariat.
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Forms
plural: lumpenproletariats| Singular | lumpenproletariat |
|---|---|
| Plural | lumpenproletariats |
regular