underclass
noun
un·der·class
ˈən-dər-ˌklas 
: the lowest social stratum usually made up of disadvantaged minority groups
Examples of underclass in a Sentence
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Friedman saw as ideal a perpetual underclass of non-citizens who can be exploited without offering them a path to actual dignity; who would never have a chance to earn citizenship and the representation, benefits, and sense of belonging that come with living in an equal society.
—
Thomas Kennedy, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
If friend groups seem ubiquitous, so does a quiet underclass of people like me, bemoaning their lack of them.
—Jenny Singer, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Deportation, and the threat of it, have upended the lives of millions of American children in the last few decades alone, while also creating a permanent underclass of workers who live in fear while their labor allows for the quiet lowering of costs for goods and services.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
In a dystopian future, a desperate underclass willingly submits to a dangerous competition where death is all but guaranteed with the event televised as a distraction by autocratic leaders who are siphoning resources from the populace.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
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Thomas Kennedy, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2026
If friend groups seem ubiquitous, so does a quiet underclass of people like me, bemoaning their lack of them.
—Jenny Singer, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Deportation, and the threat of it, have upended the lives of millions of American children in the last few decades alone, while also creating a permanent underclass of workers who live in fear while their labor allows for the quiet lowering of costs for goods and services.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
In a dystopian future, a desperate underclass willingly submits to a dangerous competition where death is all but guaranteed with the event televised as a distraction by autocratic leaders who are siphoning resources from the populace.
—Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underclass
Cite this Entry
“Underclass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/underclass. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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