Bourgeois or Bourgeoisie: Which Is Correct?

Updated 2026-10-03 · Which One Is Correct editorial team

Quick answer: Bourgeois and bourgeoisie are distinct French loanwords with specific roles in English. Bourgeois functions as an adjective describing middle-class values or as a singular noun for one individual. Bourgeoisie refers exclusively to the entire social class of wealthy property owners and business people.

The Short Answer

Bourgeois is the adjective or one person; bourgeoisie is the class as a whole. This distinction is strict in both academic and casual writing contexts.

People often confuse these terms because they share the same root and sound similar. The confusion stems from seeing the word used in sociology books where both forms appear frequently, leading writers to assume they are interchangeable.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Form	Status	Use it when
bourgeois	Adjective	Describing tastes, values, or attitudes associated with the middle class.
bourgeois	Singular Noun	Referring to a single individual who belongs to that specific social group.
bourgeoisie	Collective Noun	Discussing the entire class as a political or economic entity.
bourgeoisie	Incorrect Adjective	Avoid using this form to describe individual traits or single people.

Correct Example Sentences

The critic dismissed the play as too bourgeois for modern audiences.
Many historians argue that the bourgeoisie played a key role in the revolution.
He lived a comfortable but distinctly bourgeois life in the suburbs.
The novel critiques the moral failings of the rising bourgeoisie.
She adopted a bourgeois lifestyle after inheriting her family's fortune.
Marx analyzed the relationship between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie.
The restaurant serves food that appeals to bourgeois tastes.
The political party claimed to represent the interests of the bourgeoisie.
A bourgeois individual might prioritize stability over radical change.
The art movement rejected traditional bourgeois standards of beauty.

Common Mistakes and Fixes

The bourgeoisie values of the community were challenged.: The bourgeois values of the community were challenged.
She is a member of the bourgeois.: She is a member of the bourgeoisie.
The bourgeois controlled the majority of the wealth.: The bourgeoisie controlled the majority of the wealth.
His bourgeoisie attitude annoyed his radical friends.: His bourgeois attitude annoyed his radical friends.
The uprising was led by the bourgeois.: The uprising was led by the bourgeoisie.
They rejected the bourgeois ideals of hard work.: They rejected the bourgeois ideals of hard work.

A Quick Test You Can Use

Check if you can replace the word with middle-class. If the sentence still makes sense as a description, use bourgeois. If you are talking about a group of people acting as a single economic force, use bourgeoisie. This simple substitution test ensures grammatical accuracy every time.

Related Word Pairs

effect vs affect: Effect is usually the noun result; affect is usually the verb action.
loose vs lose: Loose means not tight; lose means to misplace or fail to win.
principal vs principle: Principal is the head of a school or main sum; principle is a rule.
than vs then: Than is for comparisons; then is for time or sequence.
accept vs except: Accept means to receive; except means to exclude or leave out.

More Example Sentences

The industrial bourgeoisie accumulated vast capital during the nineteenth century.
His bourgeois habits included drinking tea at four o'clock every afternoon.
Scholars debate whether the French Revolution was truly a bourgeois uprising.
The film portrays a family struggling to maintain their bourgeois status.
Marx described the bourgeoisie as the owners of the means of production.
She found the bourgeois expectations of marriage to be suffocating.
The emergence of the bourgeoisie changed the structure of European society.
His dress style was deliberately anti-bourgeois to signal his rebellion.
The museum exhibit highlighted the art patronage of the wealthy bourgeoisie.
Many artists felt constrained by the bourgeois standards of their time.
The bourgeois class often prioritized order and respectability in public life.
His bourgeois sensibilities made him uncomfortable with the loud music.

Quick Practice

The owned the factories and controlled the economy.

bourgeoisie

He adopted a lifestyle focused on comfort and stability.

bourgeois

Historians study the rise of the in the eighteenth century.

bourgeoisie

The values of the community were deeply rooted in tradition.

bourgeois

The held significant political power after the revolution.

bourgeoisie

Critics argued that the play was too for contemporary viewers.

bourgeois

Frequently Asked Questions

Can bourgeois be used as a noun?

Yes, bourgeois can function as a singular noun referring to one individual member of the middle class. However, it is far more commonly used as an adjective to describe attitudes or styles associated with that group.

Is bourgeoisie always plural?

Bourgeoisie is a collective noun, so it takes singular verb forms in American English. You would say the bourgeoisie is powerful rather than the bourgeoisie are powerful, treating the class as a single unit.

Do these words have negative connotations?

Both terms can carry negative implications depending on the context. Critics often use bourgeois to imply conformity or materialism, while socialist theories may view the bourgeoisie as an exploitative class, though they can be neutral descriptors too.

Where do these words come from?

These words originate from French. Bourgeois comes from the medieval term for an inhabitant of a walled town or burgh. The suffix -ie denotes a collective group, creating the class distinction in English usage.