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

Marvel Cinematic Universe regular Ruffalo stars in the seven-episode season as an FBI agent who, at the behest of his boss (Martha Plimpton), leads a cross-agency task force to investigate a spate of home invasion robberies in the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia. —Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2025

A little further south is a working-class enclave that is home to the highest concentration of sake breweries in Japan. —Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2025

Noun

This film was a labor of love, exploring the imagination of the working class through the transporting power of music. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 12 Aug. 2025

The agenda centers on an insightful reckoning: How can the Democratic Party represent itself as the problem-solving party of the working class when its track record exhibits innumerable failures in major cities? —Seth David Radwell, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 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