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

The bulk of that has been this summer, when her campaign focused on reminding voters about her of her record and middle-class upbringing. — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 19 July 2026

The movies were once a working- and middle-class pleasure—cheap Nickelodeon theaters sprung up in the early 1900s in cities dense with immigrants. — Xochitl Gonzalez, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026

Noun

Tuck is focusing on wall paintings the middle class had inside smaller houses and how the subject matter differed from murals inside elite homes. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 July 2026

Its businesses helped build one of the largest Black middle classes in the country. — Jeffrey Bennett, Time, 17 July 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