embourgeoisement

/ɒmbɔːˈʒwazmɑ̃/

noun

The process of adopting or the condition of adopting the characteristics of the bourgeoisie; bourgeoisification; the process of becoming affluent.

Scrabble 23

Meanings

nounembourgeoisement (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe process of adopting or the condition of adopting the characteristics of the bourgeoisie; bourgeoisification; the process of becoming affluent.
  2. uncountableThe proliferation in a society of values perceived as characteristic of the middle class, especially of materialism.
    1 more example

    Although these reforms were, in some cases, ineffective even when implemented, and, in other instances, impossible to implement because they met with strong resistance from powerful interests unwilling to relinquish the authority they held, the reforms nonetheless focussed attention on and began the process of dealing with the problem of miswielded authority as a cause of embourgeoisement.

    2015, John Bryan Starr, Continuing the Revolution: The Political Thought of Mao, page 305
  3. uncountableA shift to bourgeois values and practices.

    The upstart genre of the novel also marks a decisive embourgeoisement and feminization of culture.

    2003, Roy Porter, Flesh in the Age of Reason, Penguin, published 2004, page 282
    4 more examples

    Yet, in a fashion similar to the “Affluent Worker”, MacKenzie constructs a theory of embourgeoisement that is far too narrow historically and consequently, sociologically unsatisfactory.

    1972: American Sociological Association, Contemporary Sociology, pp44

    Goldthorpe’s arguments and the ‘embourgeoisement thesis’ have spawned many research studies. Russell Lansbury investigated differences blue- and white-collar workers in social outlook.

    1983, Russell Duncan Lansbury, Robert Spillane, Organisational Behaviour: The Australian Context, page 140

    It’s significant that Pasolini turned to the Orient to conjure his rather forced vision of primitive sanity, and that he expressed his resistance to Western embourgeoisement through a honeyed, lyrical and comic picture of nomad culture and its pursuit of joyous, uncomplicated, promiscuous contact.

    1994, Marina Warner, “Magic zones”, in London Review of Books, XVI.23

    2007: Lesley Thomas, The Observer: Before you sneer at Fergie…, Sunday the 30ᵗʰ of September We mould our children stealthily, force-feeding them allegorical Japanese films from Studio Gibley when they may prefer Shrek; packing them off to toddler yoga when they’d like to be at ballet reinforcing gender stereotypes. As for academic aspirations, check out any ‘up-and-coming’ area of London and witness the parents responsible for the local embourgeoisement elbowing their way into the best state schools.

Synonyms & antonyms

Origin

  1. Frenchembourgeoisement
  2. Frenchembourgeoisement
  3. Englishembourgeoisement

Borrowed from French embourgeoisement.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French embourgeoisement
  • embourgeoisementthe adoption the characteristics of the bourgeoisie
German Verbürgerlichung
  • Verbürgerlichungthe adoption the characteristics of the bourgeoisie
Hungarian polgárosodás
  • polgárosodásthe adoption the characteristics of the bourgeoisie
Portuguese aburguesamento
  • aburguesamentothe adoption the characteristics of the bourgeoisie
Spanish aburguesamiento
  • aburguesamientothe adoption the characteristics of the bourgeoisie
Cite this entry
APA

embourgeoisement. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embourgeoisement

MLA

“embourgeoisement.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embourgeoisement. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “embourgeoisement,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/embourgeoisement.

Source: embourgeoisement on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.