working-class

1 of 2

adjective

work·​ing-class ˈwər-kiŋ-ˈklas 

: of, relating to, deriving from, or suitable to the class of wage earners

working-class virtues

a working-class family

working class

2 of 2

noun

: the class of people who work for wages usually at manual labor

Examples of working-class in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

For a working-class man in the 1950s, seeking psychiatric care meant defying social mores. —Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Sep. 2025

Sunny, for example, feels solidarity with his working-class immigrant neighbors in Queens while repressing the fact that his family funded his education with black money. —Sanjena Sathian, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2025

Noun

About Marcus King Marcus King grew up in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains in a working class family with deep roots in music. —Sid Evans, Southern Living, 23 Sep. 2025

Burney grew up working class in Baltimore, endured his father’s fits of rage, pulled shifts at soul-crushing jobs to support his daughter, and lost sight in one eye from injuries in a car accident. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1833, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1757, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for working-class

• candlemas
• fiberglass
• fibreglass
• hourglass
• isinglass
• lemongrass
• martinmas
• orchardgrass
• overpass
• plexiglas
• plexiglass
• sassafras

Kids Definition

working class

noun

: the class of people who work for wages usually in manual labor

working-class adjective