work·ing-class
ˈwər-kiŋ-ˈklas 
: of, relating to, deriving from, or suitable to the class of wage earners
working-class virtues
a working-class family
: the class of people who work for wages usually at manual labor
Examples of working-class in a Sentence
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Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
But nothing has replaced the void left by mining, which, though dangerous and poorly paid, galvanized those who descended into the earth with working-class pride and purpose.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 6 May 2026
Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
People born into working class households in the 1840s should have been doing well in the 1870s.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
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Adjective
The big winner is expected to be hard-right party Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, which is aiming for working-class, former Labor strongholds in England’s north and on London’s outer edges with its anti-establishment, anti-immigration message.
—Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
But nothing has replaced the void left by mining, which, though dangerous and poorly paid, galvanized those who descended into the earth with working-class pride and purpose.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 6 May 2026
Noun
Church did not, however, neglect the National Academy, and in 1849—in the midst of bloody riots pitting nativists against immigrants and New York’s working class against the wealthy—he was promoted to full academician status.
—Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
People born into working class households in the 1840s should have been doing well in the 1870s.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for working-class
Cite this Entry
“Working-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/working-class. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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