as in poor
belonging to the class of people of middle social or economic rank
She grew up in a middle-class neighborhood, as did most of her classmates.
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as in working class
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of middle-class
Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
That, coupled with other income tax changes, saved poor and middle-class households more than $450 million last year.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 2 May 2026
Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 4 May 2026
The savings go straight to the top while hollowing out the middle class.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Adjective
Allen grew up in a middle-class, suburban part of Torrance, one of four siblings who would each go on to study at reputable universities.
—Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
That, coupled with other income tax changes, saved poor and middle-class households more than $450 million last year.
—Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 2 May 2026
Noun
Critics warn, though, that a benefit cap could eat into benefits for the middle class.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 4 May 2026
The savings go straight to the top while hollowing out the middle class.
—Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-class
Adjective
-
Harper opened a small dance studio, on Forty-sixth Street; business was poor until Bradley was hired and revamped Delroy’s act.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
Still vehicle electronics can be damaged from reverse polarity, poor or wrong connection points or voltage spikes from improper equipment.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
With a population of only about 5,000 people − both working class and millionaires alike − the eagles are a frequent local topic, both because of the international attention but also because so many locals are genuine fans.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
-
The third season, Devil In Silver, is based on the book by Victor LaValle, about a working class man mistakenly committed to a psychiatric hospital where things get very, very dark.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Traditionally, the bourgeois novel questioned the viability of bourgeois life, not the viability of life itself.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Perhaps Fogel, a fervent leftist, chafed at having to celebrate the family, that bourgeois institution.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The economic cost of the war is now palpable – with cell-phone data outages that regularly blight major cities angering even the pro-Putin bourgeoisie – adding to a sense of the war beginning to hit the urban elite, who until now were mostly isolated from the invasion’s impact.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
4 May 2026
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Scheidt’s family were members of the German-Jewish bourgeoisie (a distant cousin, Albert Ballin, was general director of what became the world’s largest steamship line).—
Andrew Silow-Carroll,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
These are products have a short, simple ingredient lists that are easy to understand for regular consumers and are free from additives.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
7 May 2026
-
Sometimes this involved simple in-person observations.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Questions persist about whether a billionaire candidate can effectively represent and prioritize the interests of working-class voters, with concerns that billionaires as a demographic cannot be trusted to champion non-wealthy citizens’ concerns in political leadership.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
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Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said a consistent theme in several Democratic primaries this year has been pushing candidates to be more aligned with working-class voters over corporate donors.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Middle-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-class. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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