working-class

1 of 2

adjective

work·​ing-class ˈwər-kiŋ-ˈklas How to pronounce working-class (audio)
: of, relating to, deriving from, or suitable to the class of wage earners
working-class virtues
a working-class family

working class

2 of 2

noun

: the class of people who work for wages usually at manual labor

Examples of working-class in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Born in a low-income, working-class Brooklyn neighborhood, Ginsburg was inspired by her mother's sacrifices and encouragement. Sari Beth Rosenberg, Parents, 5 Mar. 2024 In the 14-episode series, Mod plays a brilliant yet self-destructive working-class writer who falls in love with wayward posh boy Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall) on their final day at university in 1988. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 4 Mar. 2024 Biden’s yearlong refusal to visit the site of the Norfolk Southern train wreck was a reminder of general aloofness and weakness with working-class voters. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 2 Mar. 2024 One of the more ominous findings for Mr. Biden in the new poll is that the historical edge Democrats have held with working-class voters of color who did not attend college continues to erode. Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 Growing up in working-class Hartford, Conn., La Salle became interested in the arts through his desire to be a writer. Gillian Telling, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 Anitta, whose real name is Larissa de Macedo Machado, comes from Honório Gurgel, a working-class neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2024 Biden has frequently touted his strong ties to labor unions, while straining at times to make inroads with working-class members. Lauren Kaori Gurley, Washington Post, 21 Feb. 2024 But their politics ultimately feed a worldview that’s inclusive, anti-colonial, and conscious of the ways that sectarianism has been used to break working-class solidarity. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2024
Noun
Had his images instead been slotted into a lineage of photojournalistic documentation of the British working class, like the work of, say, Chris Killip, the story might have been different. Chris Wiley, The New Yorker, 29 Feb. 2024 The flat cap was originally favored by the American and European working classes in the early 20th century, including the young paperboys it was named for. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 29 Feb. 2024 In the series, Herrán plays Oskar, brought up in an orphanage whose only living relation is uncle Miguel (Fernando Tejero), who lives in a humble working class district of Madrid and becomes the voice of Oskar’s conscience. Pablo Sandoval, Variety, 13 Dec. 2023 Again, the breakfast sandwich’s fate intertwined with that of the working class; its runaway popularity dovetailed with a dramatic increase in most Americans’ work hours. Emily Heil, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2023 Besides being a place to score some free food, corner bars played a key role in the daily lives of many Baltimoreans, particularly the white working class. Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 31 Jan. 2024 His mother gets murdered by the city’s elite, sending Kid on a vengeful mission to bring justice to those responsible and to take down the system that’s preyed upon him and the rest of the poor and working class. Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2024 The embodiment of their thesis soon appeared in Barack Obama—only to be followed by Donald Trump and the revenge of the white working class, a large plurality that has refused to fade away. George Packer, The Atlantic, 11 Dec. 2023 There have always been more members of the working classes than there have been of the corporate, economic and political elites. Megan Thiele Strong, The Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'working-class.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1833, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1757, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of working-class was in 1757

Dictionary Entries Near working-class

working class

working-class

working day

Cite this Entry

“Working-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/working-class. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

working class

noun
: the class of people who work for wages usually in manual labor
working-class adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on working-class

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!