class enemy
Bourgeois to proletariat
Class enemy is a term from Marxist political vocabulary for someone whose economic interests are opposed to the working class—typically capitalists, landlords, or those who benefit from existing power structures.
The phrase was especially prominent in Soviet and Maoist rhetoric, where it justified persecution of bourgeois elements: The kulaks were denounced as class enemies.
Outside strict communist contexts, it's sometimes used ironically or to mock rigid ideological thinking.
- bourgeoisieCapitalist ownership class
- petit bourgeoisLower middle-class mentality
- proletariatLaborers lacking capital ownership
- kulakProsperous Russian peasant
- reactionaryAnti-progress political stance
counterrevolutionary · capitalist · running dog · oppressor · traitor · saboteur · landlord · exploiter · red guard · propaganda · thought crime · purge · reeducation camp · denounce · struggle session · people's court · gulag · Mao
class enemycomrade
Fellow member, shared cause
revolutionary · vanguard · party member · socialist · worker
class enemyally
Supportive partner
brother · sister · supporter · sympathizer · fellow traveler
class, enemy, classes, classed, classing, classy, classless, classify, classification