MIDDLE CLASS Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

middle-class 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of middle-class

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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Dissimilar Words

middle class

2 of 2

noun

as in working class

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of middle-class

Adjective

As tuition climbed, America quietly transformed many middle-class careers into graduate professions. — Richard Fowler, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 Moreover, more students from middle-class backgrounds use vouchers. — Kendall Deas, The Conversation, 6 July 2026

Noun

So, basically, the larger the middle class, the more people there are who have a high level of well-being, and the smaller the middle class, the lower the well-being in the average population. — Charles Trepany, USA Today, 6 July 2026 As a result, the richest are becoming far, far richer than the rich; the rich are getting much richer than the middle class; the not-rich are getting nowhere. — Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for middle-class

Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-class

Adjective

Prolonged exposure to heat can lead to insufficient or poor sleep, compromising the immune system, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease and diminishing cognitive performance.

— Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
On top of this, subterranean drip systems often clog with mineral deposits, sediment, and algae, which Nad warns may eventually require repairs or replacement of portions of the system, particularly in areas with hard water or poor filtration.

— Kamron Sanders, The Spruce, 13 July 2026

Definition of poor

Noun

Outreach to the Latino working class should stress economic dignity, not socialist ideology.

— León Krauze, Washington Post, 7 July 2026
Sade’s debut is a pristine work of professional studio craft just like all their subsequent releases, but Diamond Life was made by a working class band that had spent years gigging in the clubs of London.

— Al Shipley, SPIN, 30 June 2026

Definition of working class

Adjective

In sharp contrast to the first-generation members of the Frankfurt School, Habermas came from a petit-bourgeois, culturally conservative Protestant milieu, his family name going back to sixteenth-century Thuringian cobblers.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Their attempts to destroy the bourgeois family were, like the efforts of Suzanna’s mother and grandmother, ambivalent and half-hearted.

— Julius Taranto, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026

Definition of bourgeois

Noun

For a long time, the lifestyles and foibles of the modest bourgeoisie were a mainstay of art-house cinema, with urbane, upscale audiences happy to turn out to see versions of their own lives depicted on the screen.

— Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026
The town next door, Maplewood, built walls and created one-way streets to direct the flow of traffic coming in and out of Newark and Irvington to protect its fading notion bourgeoisie exclusivity.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 June 2026

Definition of bourgeoisie

Adjective

Analysts say that Burnham's upbringing and experience as mayor have influenced his politics and could help Labour win back working-class voters who have shifted toward right-wing parties in recent years.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 10 July 2026
According to reporting by the Bangor Daily News, Platner became a candidate after local union leaders reached out to him in July 2025 as someone likely to appeal to the state’s working-class voters.

— Michael Loria, USA Today, 10 July 2026

Definition of working-class

Browse Nearby Words

middle-agers

middle-class

middle class

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Middle-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-class. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of middle-class

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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