il borghese

Definition & meaning

Borghese can be an adjective or a noun:

• Bourgeois; middle-class: relating to the social class traditionally associated with commerce, professions, and property ownership.
• Conventional or materialistic: sometimes used critically of attitudes seen as concerned with respectability, comfort, or wealth.
• Civilian: in certain expressions, as opposed to military uniform or service.

As a noun, it means a member of the bourgeoisie or, in historical contexts, a townsperson.

Grammar & Word origin

The adjective has the same singular form for masculine and feminine: borghese. Its plural is borghesi. As a noun, it can refer to a man or a woman: un borghese, una borghese.

It derives from borgo ↗, meaning “town” or “borough,” and originally referred to an inhabitant of a town.

Synonyms & antonyms

• cittadino ↗ — “citizen” or “townsperson”; close to the historical sense, but without the same class implication.
• conformista ↗ — “conformist”; similar to the critical sense, but focused on following prevailing attitudes.
• proletario ↗ — “proletarian” or “working-class”; a social-class contrast, especially in political contexts.
• militare ↗ — “military”; contrasts with the civilian sense.

Common phrases & collocations

• classe borghese ↗ — the bourgeois or middle class.
• mentalità borghese ↗ — a bourgeois mindset, often implying conventional values.
• in borghese ↗ — in civilian clothes, rather than in uniform.