working-class

1 of 2

adjective

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

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

Whitmore’s depiction of rural, working-class life is strange but never surreal or exploitative. —Emma Alpern, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025

But such uses are anomalies in the long-term transformation of stadiums from working-class cathedrals for the people into luxury palaces for the rich. —John Seabrook, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025

Noun

Lifeline for working class families On Tuesday, at a distribution event at the food bank, Catholic Charities received an unexpected donation from a local business, First Steps Interventions, which organized an internal food drive to support the food bank. —Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 26 Nov. 2025

The resulting economic conditions spell out a difficult experience for working class Tennesseans struggling to keep up. —Molly Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 12 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1833, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1757, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for working-class

• candlemas
• fiberglass
• fibreglass
• hourglass
• isinglass
• lemongrass
• martinmas
• orchardgrass
• overpass
• plexiglas
• plexiglass
• sassafras

Kids Definition

working class

noun

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

working-class adjective