German word

bürgerlich

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈbʏʁgɐlɪç/

Meaning

  • adjectivemiddle-class

Example

Viele junge Familien leben in einem bürgerlichen Viertel.

Many young families live in a middle-class neighborhood.

Illustration for bürgerlich (middle-class)

More examples

Seine bürgerliche Einstellung zeigt sich oft im Umgang mit den Nachbarn.

His middle-class attitude is often evident in the way he deals with the neighbors.

Core concept

A settled urban household with orderly surroundings, conventional tastes, and civic respectability.

Common phrases

  • bürgerliche Einstellung

    middle-class attitude

  • bürgerlicher Geschmack

    middle-class taste

Similar words

konservativ: Favoring traditional values and the preservation of established social arrangements.
wohlhabend: Having enough money for a comfortable and financially secure lifestyle.
spießig: Overly concerned with rules, formalities, and conventional behavior in a stifling way.

Definition in German

Zur Mittelschicht gehörend; bezeichnet Lebensweise, Geschmack oder Haltung, die typisch für das Bürgertum sind.

Word origin

Bürgerlich is formed from Bürger, historically a town dweller or citizen, with the adjective-forming suffix -lich.

Usage tips

  • Bürgerlich can describe both a middle-class lifestyle and a civic or political outlook, so context determines whether it is social or ideological.

Other meanings

  • civicadjective
  • conservativeadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • Bürgerlichkeitmiddle-classnessnoun

Word lists with this word