Meaning of Word
Peasant refers to a member of the agricultural laboring class, typically a farmer or farmworker in rural areas. Historically, it described individuals of low social status working on the land under feudal systems.
Definitions and Meaning in English
- A poor smallholder or agricultural laborer of low social rank, especially in historical or pre-industrial societies.
- A rural inhabitant who cultivates the land, often under the control of landlords or landowners.
- Informally, a term used derogatorily to describe someone perceived as unsophisticated or unrefined.
History and Origin
The term peasant comes from the Old French paisant or païsan, meaning “country dweller,” derived from pais, meaning “country” or “land.” Its usage began in the late Middle Ages to describe individuals tied to agricultural labor, often within feudal systems where they worked the land in exchange for protection or resources.
Detailed Explanation
Peasant is a term deeply rooted in agricultural and feudal history. Traditionally, peasants worked on land owned by nobles or landlords, producing crops and sustaining local economies. They were typically poor and had little political or social power, often living in rural communities. In modern contexts, the term can still describe small-scale farmers but is sometimes used pejoratively to imply a lack of sophistication or refinement. Historically, the peasant class played a crucial role in shaping agricultural economies and societal structures.
Example Sentences
- In medieval Europe, most people were peasants working on feudal estates.
- The peasant community relied heavily on the harvest for survival.
- He dismissed their concerns, referring to them rudely as peasants.
- The documentary highlighted the struggles of peasants in developing countries.
- During the revolution, the peasants rose against their landlords.
- The king introduced reforms to improve the lives of the peasants.
- The artist painted scenes of rural peasant life.
- Many peasants migrated to cities during the industrial revolution.
- The traditional peasant clothing included simple, durable fabrics.
Synonyms with Short Explanation
- Farmer: A person who works the land to grow crops or raise livestock.
- Laborer: A worker engaged in physical work, often on farms.
- Rustic: Relating to the countryside, often implying simplicity.
- Serf: A laborer bound to a feudal estate, similar to a peasant.
- Villager: A person living in a rural area, often engaged in farming.
Related Words with Short Explanation
- Agrarian: Relating to farming or rural communities.
- Tenant: A person renting land or property, often for farming.
- Harvester: Someone involved in gathering crops.
- Homesteader: A farmer who owns and works on a small farmstead.
- Sharecropper: A farmer who works land owned by someone else in exchange for a share of the crops.
More Matches with Short Explanation
- Countryman: A person living in rural areas, often involved in farming.
- Cultivator: Someone who tills and prepares land for crops.
- Landworker: A person who works on agricultural land.
- Commoner: A person of low social rank, often associated with peasants historically.
- Plowman: A farmer or laborer who plows fields.
Antonyms
- Noble: A person of high social rank, often owning the land peasants worked on.
- Aristocrat: A member of the privileged, land-owning class.
- Landlord: A person who owns land and rents it out to peasants or tenants.
- Urbanite: Someone living in a city, as opposed to rural areas.
- Gentry: Wealthy landowners who did not engage in manual labor.