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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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.
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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
To make matters worse, the equally destitute viewing public is rewarded for ratting out the runners (or killing the contestants themselves), which pits neighbor against neighbor in a way that keeps the underclass at war with itself.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 Nov. 2025
Stephen King’s 1982 novel, The Running Man, imagined an authoritarian America in 2025, ruled over by a giant corporation that controls the flow of information while keeping the underclass in its place.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for underclass
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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
To make matters worse, the equally destitute viewing public is rewarded for ratting out the runners (or killing the contestants themselves), which pits neighbor against neighbor in a way that keeps the underclass at war with itself.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 Nov. 2025
Stephen King’s 1982 novel, The Running Man, imagined an authoritarian America in 2025, ruled over by a giant corporation that controls the flow of information while keeping the underclass in its place.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 11 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 22 Dec. 2025.
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