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

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

Urban and middle-class Dominicans looked down on bachata as the music played in brothels and favored by poor, rural people who started to migrate to urban areas in large numbers in the 1960s. —Wilfredo José Burgos Matos, The Conversation, 25 July 2025

According to Suozzi, the Share Holder Allocation for Rewards to Employees (SHARE) Plan Act, when fully implemented, could result in nearly $4 trillion in stock value being transferred to almost 40 million middle-class Americans. —Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 25 July 2025

Noun

Can the party craft an economic message that speaks to the anxieties of the working and middle class? —Averi Harper, ABC News, 21 July 2025

But most are middle class, and about a third of the charts in his office’s filing cabinets are blue, indicating Medicaid. —Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1836, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1745, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for middle-class

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

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