peasantry

American  

[pez-uhn-tree] / ˈpɛz ən tri /

noun

1. peasants collectively.

2. the status or character of a peasant.

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peasantry British  

/ ˈpɛzəntrɪ /

noun

1. peasants as a class

2. conduct characteristic of peasants

3. the status of a peasant

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Etymology

Origin of peasantry

First recorded in 1545–55; peasant + -ry

Example Sentences

Claudius has made himself a monarch again, standing at the head of a shrieking horde of desperate peasantry who believe he can unbar the door to that heavenly place.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025

They are members of a technological medieval peasantry.

From Salon • Jul. 18, 2024

Zubak’s desire to redistribute land to the peasantry and his elevation of rural culture is the stuff of many if not most revolutions.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2024

It was rumored to have been said by an out-of-touch Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France, after she learned that the French peasantry had run out of bread.

From New York Times • Jul. 14, 2023

Most of the soldiers in the Crusades were recruited from the peasantry.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz