What did Marx mean by the dictatorship of the proletariat?

In Marxism, the dictatorship of the proletariat refers to a transitional phase between the abolition of capitalism and the establishment of a classless society under communism.1

Karl Marx conceived this as a rule by the majority class—the proletariat, or industrial working class—to suppress resistance from the bourgeoisie and dismantle the social relations of production that sustain class systems. Because Marx viewed all existing governments as class dictatorships, he did not consider this proletarian rule uniquely oppressive; rather, he saw it as a necessary, temporary measure to seize the means of production from capitalists.123

Marx envisioned that once this transition was complete, the state would "wither away," allowing for the full development of human personality in a society free from class conflict. However, critics and later historical developments—such as the Bolshevik Revolution—demonstrated that such power structures often failed to dissolve, instead evolving into authoritarian rule by a political party or a minority elite.31