upper-class

1 of 2

adjective

up·​per-class ˌə-pər-ˈklas How to pronounce upper-class (audio)
-ˈkläs
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the upper class

upper class

2 of 2

noun

: a social class occupying a position above the middle class and having the highest status in a society

Examples of upper-class in a Sentence

Adjective upper-class boys who had an entrenched sense of entitlement Noun a popular pastime among the upper classes a member of the upper class
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
And yet, there is a continued fascination with the upper-class way of life, with elements of that familiar TikTok trend of hashtag-Old Money becoming ever more present in recent collections. Brett F. Braley-Palko, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025 Working-class residents battle with an upper-class outsider regarding the best way to kill the shark. Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 26 June 2025
Noun
Most English-speakers in India are from the country's country's middle and upper classes. Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 8 June 2025 Claiming that free trade agreements have spurred upward social mobility, one of his slides asserted that the middle class has shrunk in recent years only because more people had moved into the upper class. Eric Cortellessa, TIME, 18 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for upper-class

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1837, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1814, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of upper-class was in 1814

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Upper-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upper-class. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

upper class

noun
: the highest class in society
upper-class adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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