middle-class

1 of 2

adjective

mid·​dle-class ˌmi-dᵊl-ˈklas 

: of or relating to the middle class

especially : characterized by a high material standard of living, sexual morality, and respect for property

a typical middle-class family

traditional middle-class values

middle-classness

ˌmi-dᵊl-ˈklas-nəs 

noun

middle class

2 of 2

noun

: a class occupying a position between the upper class and the lower class

especially : a fluid heterogeneous socioeconomic grouping composed principally of business and professional people, bureaucrats, and some farmers and skilled workers sharing common social characteristics and values

Examples of middle-class in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Serena and Venus Williams, for example, grew up in a middle-class family in Compton, California, before becoming two of the most successful and recognizable players in tennis history. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026

At a time when the nascent feminist movement was largely associated with White, middle-class women, Steinem made race and social class central to her thought and writing. — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026

Noun

Over the next three decades, soaring demand for the fruit transformed Michoacán state into the center of global avocado production — and catapulted a generation of people like Pancho from poverty into the middle class. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

The cost of living for middle class families for average Americans is exploding. — NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1836, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1745, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for middle-class

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

Kids Definition

middle class

noun

: a social class that occupies a position between the upper class and the lower class and is composed mainly of business and professional people, government officials, farmers, and skilled workers

middle-class adjective