up·per-class
ˌə-pər-ˈklas 
-ˈkläs
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the highest social class in a society
: 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
Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
Daniel Cady, who served a term in Congress, delighted in his daughter’s precociousness, though her particular kind of aggressive intelligence was not encouraged among women of their upper-class milieu.
—Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Vogue, 27 Mar. 2026
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the coastal city of Mar del Plata thrived as a summer playground for Argentina’s upper class.
—Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upper-class
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Adjective
These were professional, white, middle- and upper-class evangelical women from suburban congregations.
—Ed Gaskin, Boston Herald, 29 Mar. 2026
Daniel Cady, who served a term in Congress, delighted in his daughter’s precociousness, though her particular kind of aggressive intelligence was not encouraged among women of their upper-class milieu.
—Moira Donegan, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
But, by the beginning of the Gilded Age in America in the 1870s, the sartorial code became the upper class’s go-to for the opera, debutante balls, and any of the fancy-dress parties thrown by socialites of the day.
—Vogue, 27 Mar. 2026
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the coastal city of Mar del Plata thrived as a summer playground for Argentina’s upper class.
—Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upper-class
Cite this Entry
“Upper-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upper-class. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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