peasant

noun

peas·​ant ˈpe-zᵊnt How to pronounce peasant (audio)
Synonyms of peasantnext
1
: a member of a European class of persons tilling the soil as small landowners or as laborers
This land was farmed by peasants for centuries.
also : a member of a similar class elsewhere
2
: a usually uneducated person of low social status
They treated us like a bunch of peasants.

Examples of peasant in a Sentence

They treated us like a bunch of peasants.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The painting shows a lush, verdant Italian landscape, whose richness allows even peasants to enjoy leisurely strolls along its paths. — Tyler Green, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026 The back-to-the-land aesthetic of peasant skirts, head scarves, and florals seems to seep into fashion at this time of year, but a distinctly folk vibe is now taking over interiors too. — Francesca Perry, Vogue, 29 June 2026 Yet for critics of this militarized approach, the army has done less to tame rebellions than to terrorize the island’s peasant communities. — Patrick Peralta, The Conversation, 28 May 2026 Coastal-meets-countryside, meaning the brand’s online shelves are well-stocked with pleated shirtdresses, flowing peasant tops, and striped mesh tote bags for housing towels and your newest beach read. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for peasant

Word History

Etymology

Middle English paissaunt, from Anglo-French paisant, pesaunt, from pais, paiis country, from Late Latin pagensis inhabitant of a district, from Latin pagus district; akin to Latin pangere to fix — more at pact

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of peasant was in the 15th century

Rhymes for peasant

See All Rhymes for peasant

Browse Nearby Words

Peary Land
peasant
peasant blue
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Peasant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peasant. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

peasant

noun
peas·​ant ˈpez-ᵊnt How to pronounce peasant (audio)
1
: a European small farmer or farm laborer
2
: a member of a similar agricultural class elsewhere

More from Merriam-Webster on peasant

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for peasant

Nglish: Translation of peasant for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about peasant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All