stratum

1 one of the segments of society into which people are grouped <the lower strata of society have been hit especially hard by this economic downturn> Synonyms caste, estate, folk, gentry, order, classRelated Words bracket, echelon, grade, layer, level, tier; place, position, rank, standing, status; food chain, grouping, hierarchy, stratification; clan, family, fraternity, people, race, tribe; subcaste

2 the placement of someone or something in relation to others in a vertical arrangement <the level of writing in that pop novel is several strata beneath that of serious fiction> Synonyms degree, echelon, footing, level, place, position, ranking, reach(es), rung, situation, standing, station, status, rankRelated Words condition, estate, order, walk; capacity, function; rating