second-class

1 of 2

adjective

sec·​ond-class ˈse-kən(d)-ˈklas 

-kᵊŋ-

1

: of or relating to a second class

2

: mediocre

also : socially, politically, or economically deprived

second class

2 of 2

noun

1

: the second and usually next to highest group in a classification

2

: cabin class

3

: a class of U.S. or Canadian mail comprising periodicals sent to regular subscribers

Synonyms of second-class

Adjective

• inferior
• minor
• mean
• smaller

Examples of second-class in a Sentence

Adjective

a playwright who produced only second-class work when he turned his hand to poetry

it's only a second-class restaurant and not worth the high prices

Noun

The airline offers special services for travelers in first and second class.

She got an upper second class in English at Oxford.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

No more treating the people who make movies possible as second-class citizens in their own celebration. —Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 Dec. 2025

First, ‘finishers’ makes those players seem more involved than mere ‘substitutes’, which sounds distinctly second-class. —Michael Cox, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2025

Noun

The second class includes those who were included in the incident announced on July 12, 2024. —Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025

The second class also goes up to 20 mph and is pedal assisted, but additionally has a throttle that can keep the bike going even if the rider is not pedaling. —Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 20 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for second-class

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

Kids Definition

second-class

adjective

1

: of or relating to a class next below the first or highest class

2

a

: inferior entry 1 sense 3, mediocre

b

: deprived of wealth or social rank