great unwashed

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great unwashed

/ˌɡɹeɪt ʌnˈwɒʃt/ UK
/ˌɡɹeɪt ʌnˈwɔːʃt/ US
/ˌɡɹeɪt ʌnˈwɑːʃt/ US

Where it comes from

Though attributed by many to Edmund Burke, the first published use of the phrase was by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in a dedicatory epistle for 1830, Paul Clifford.

noun

derogatory, idiomatic, plural, plural only The general populace, particularly the working class. [T]he gentlemen of the inns of court, and the gentlemen of the universities… live in abodes which were erected long before the custom of cleanliness and decency obtained among us. … Gentlemen, there can be but little doubt that your ancestors were the Great Unwashed: and in the Temple especially, it
Similar: hoi polloi, unwashed masses, great unhosed, canaille, commonality, commonalty, crowd, commonage, demos, everyone, general public, great unwashed

Translations

Every language

noun a contemptuous term for the populace, particularly the working class

Français	vulgum pecus
Română	vulg, prostime

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MLA

"great unwashed." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/great%20unwashed. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

great unwashed. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/great%20unwashed

Chicago

"great unwashed." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/great%20unwashed.

BibTeX

@misc{great_unwashed_2026,
  title = {great unwashed},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/great%20unwashed},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}