мещани́н

rare #17632

nounmasculineanimatecountable

1.
petty bourgeois, burgher, townsman (of the petty-burgher estate)history
Его оте́ц был мещани́ном небольшо́го уе́здного го́рода.
His father was a petty bourgeois of a small provincial town.
Historical term for a legally defined social estate of town dwellers (tradesmen, small shopkeepers, artisans).
2.
philistine, narrow-minded person, bourgeois (pejorative)
Он называ́л сосе́да мещани́ном без вся́ких идеа́лов.
He called his neighbour a philistine without any ideals.
Derogatory: someone preoccupied with comfort and possessions and lacking wider interests.

Examples

Этот мещанин думал только о деньгах.
That petty bourgeois thought only about money.
Она презирала мещан за их мелочность.
She despised the petty bourgeoisie for their pettiness.
Мещане в городе жили тихой скучной жизнью.
The petty bourgeoisie in the city lived a quiet, boring life.

⚠️ Stress change.