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

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

By prioritizing detention facilities and deportation before the ever-persistent needs of Florida constituents, taxpayers have become second-class citizens in their own state. —Victoria MacHado, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2025

The 2018 Nation-State Law and other regulations have deepened these grievances, leaving many Druze feeling like second-class citizens. —Faisal J. Abbas, semafor.com, 28 July 2025

Noun

The second class is much smaller—court filings indicate somewhere between 21 and about 60 people—and demands monetary damages on account of voluntarily forfeiting prize money earned in a tennis tournament to comply with NCAA rules. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 30 July 2025

The optimism of the era and the wonder of space exploration are also key to Taylor Jenkin Reid’s latest novel, Atmosphere, which follows Joan Goodwin, a member of the 1980s space shuttle program (and only the second class of female astronauts at NASA ever). —Maureen Lee Lenker Published, EW.com, 15 July 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