upper-class

1 of 2

adjective

up·​per-class ˌə-pər-ˈklas How to pronounce upper-class (audio)
-ˈkläs
Synonyms of upper-classnext
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the highest social class in a society

upper class

2 of 2

noun

: a social class occupying a position above the middle class and having the highest status in a society

Examples of upper-class in a Sentence

Adjective upper-class boys who had an entrenched sense of entitlement Noun a popular pastime among the upper classes a member of the upper class
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.
Adjective
Lady Caroline Blackwood drew on her own upper-class, Anglo-Irish upbringing for this autobiographical fiction about the multigenerational destruction of women by their own families, and the novel has the unshakeable, freaky urgency of truth. Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 10 June 2026 An account of enduring the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War as a child growing up in an upper-class leftist family in Tehran, Persepolis may be the most globally famous graphic narrative of the past 25 years. Hillary Chute, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
Noun
For Hollywood’s upper class of creatives, the best version of their films may now include AI. Corbin Bolies, Variety, 3 June 2026 The throughline of his life is his on-again, off-again friendship with, but also his steadfast love for a neighbor girl of the upper class, who challenges him repeatedly to become his better self. The Know, Denver Post, 31 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for upper-class

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1837, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1814, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of upper-class was in 1814

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Upper-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upper-class. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

upper class

noun
: the highest class in society
upper-class adjective
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