: a social class occupying a position above the middle class and having the highest status in a society
Synonyms
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
Sarah Stoller / Made By History, TIME, 11 July 2024
The Bossa Nova Craze In the early 1960s, bossa nova was hugely popular in the US thanks to its reinvention as a social dance and its connections with upper-class culture.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2024
Clare’s descent into madness was closely aligned with the Enclosure Acts, when the untamed nature of England celebrated in his poetry was essentially stolen by the upper class.
—Jessica Ferri, Washington Post, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for upper-class 
Adjective
By the 1910s, as immigration increased, and more public high schools were better preparing students of all backgrounds to meet private entrance requirements, rising numbers of Jewish students were landing spots at the historically Protestant and upper-class universities.
—Sarah Stoller / Made By History, TIME, 11 July 2024
The Bossa Nova Craze In the early 1960s, bossa nova was hugely popular in the US thanks to its reinvention as a social dance and its connections with upper-class culture.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
Noun
Mansions seemingly in the middle of nowhere allow their owners to jump from middle class to upper class overnight.
—Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2024
Clare’s descent into madness was closely aligned with the Enclosure Acts, when the untamed nature of England celebrated in his poetry was essentially stolen by the upper class.
—Jessica Ferri, Washington Post, 25 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for upper-class
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upper-class.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near upper-class
Cite this Entry
“Upper-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upper-class. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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