Bourgeoisie (French).
The merchants, manufacturers, and master-tradesmen considered as a class. Citoyen is a freeman, a citizen of the State; bourgeois, an individual of the Bourgeoisie class. Molière has a comedy entitled Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme.
“The commons of England, the Tiers-Etat of France, the bourgeoisie of the Continent generally, are the descendants of this class [artisans] generally.”—Mill: Political Economy (Prelim. p. 12).
