underclass

noun

un·​der·​class ˈən-dər-ˌklas How to pronounce underclass (audio)
: the lowest social stratum usually made up of disadvantaged minority groups

Examples of underclass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Passing this bill would be the first official step toward creating a permanent resident underclass with a perpetually renewable legal status that falls short of citizenship. The Editors, National Review, 21 July 2025 Movies like Harry Brown played on fears of a youthful underclass — variously called chavs, hoodies, or ASBOs — rising up to terrorize the adults in their midst. Nate Jones, Vulture, 3 July 2025 These include Filipinos employed around the world as nannies, nurses, seamen, and construction workers, as well as those who work in the country’s booming call centers in Manila and other cities—the digital underclass of the global technology industry. Sheila S. Coronel, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2019 Is this the Empire cleaning out the alien underclass? Jesse Hassenger, Vulture, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for underclass

Word History

First Known Use

1918, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of underclass was in 1918

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Cite this Entry

“Underclass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underclass. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.

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