middle-class

1 of 2

adjective

mid·​dle-class ˌmi-dᵊl-ˈklas How to pronounce middle-class (audio)
: of or relating to the middle class
especially : characterized by a high material standard of living, sexual morality, and respect for property
middle-classness 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
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Adjective
In 2008, four years before her books became an international publishing phenomenon, Mitchell (now Erika Leonard) was leading an ordinary middle-class life in a London suburb with her husband and their two sons. Kirsty McHugh, Literary Hub, 20 June 2025 As the Civil Rights Movement gained momentum, however, many Black leaders embraced white, middle-class norms—including heteronormativity—as a strategy for advancing desegregation and civil rights for the larger Black community. Time, 20 June 2025
Noun
For instance, shark fin soup started to be a problem around the 1980s thanks to the economic boom in China and the emergence of a new middle class there. ArsTechnica, 20 June 2025 More than half of America’s 37 million STEM workers are skilled technical workers who power our manufacturing, healthcare and aerospace industries and also are a bedrock of America’s middle class. Shalin Jyotishi, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for middle-class

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1836, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1745, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of middle-class was in 1745

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Cite this Entry

“Middle-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/middle-class. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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

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