social class

noun

plural social classes

: a group of people sharing the same social or socioeconomic status : class sense 2a

The well-to-do WTUL [=Women's Trade Union League] volunteers who joined striking New York City shirtwaist workers in 1909 had used their elegant attire to convey the fact that no woman, whatever her social class, could ignore the hardships endured by clothing workers in America.

—Ellen Cain

Her research explores the use and abuse of diversity and inclusion policy as a form of reputation management, and how social class influences access to and career progression within 'elite' occupations.

—Queen Mary University of London

The eight women denied being witches, but Mary was believed. She was 18, pretty, educated and from a higher social class.

—Martina Devlin

Examples of social class in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Like Metzler’s previous Netflix hit Maid, this series takes a fascinating deep-dive into money, power, social class, and the clash between the haves and the have-nots. —Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Look at the list of MEK martyrs, encompassing diverse social classes, and the MEK’s financial independence, funded entirely by Iranian contributions at home and abroad. —Beth Bailey, FOXNews.com, 25 June 2025

Simultaneously, the library acts as a natural bridge over social class divides. —Laura Backstrom, Scientific American, 8 May 2025

Reinterpreting the giant of Japanese cinema’s 1963 classic, High and Low, a tense police procedural with a sharp dissection of social class structures, Lee and screenwriter Alan Fox handle the material with the utmost care and respect. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for social class

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