Precariat
Etymology
A modern blend of "precarious" and "proletariat," popularized by the economist Guy Standing in the 2010s. "Precarious" itself descends from Latin "precarius," obtained by prayer or entreaty — held only at another’s pleasure.
noun · /prih-KAIR-ee-uht/
The class of workers trapped in insecure, low-protection, unpredictable employment.
What it names
An emerging social class defined by chronic insecurity rather than by income or trade.
Example
Gig drivers, adjunct lecturers, and zero-hours staff make up a precariat whose next paycheck is never guaranteed.
Related idea
The social class named for precarity; where the old proletariat at least had steady wage-labor, the precariat holds only the prayer-granted job of its Latin root.
See also