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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in working class
Related Words
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
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
Upper-middle-class professionals often talk a big game about openness, inclusion and social experimentation.
—
Rob Henderson,
Washington Post,
21 June 2026
Kristin Scharkey,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
Now a married father of two boys, one of whom has special needs, Reynoso said his perspective as a young middle class father is sorely needed on Capitol Hill.
—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Adjective
That solidly middle-class income may have supported a wider range of homebuying options just a few years ago, but the current borrowing environment has changed the math for buyers.
—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
Upper-middle-class professionals often talk a big game about openness, inclusion and social experimentation.
—
Rob Henderson,
Washington Post,
21 June 2026
Noun
Are you considered middle class?
—
Kristin Scharkey,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
Now a married father of two boys, one of whom has special needs, Reynoso said his perspective as a young middle class father is sorely needed on Capitol Hill.
—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-class
Adjective
-
Rebecca Lowe joins Dan Patrick to discuss some of the top storylines around the World Cup, including Cristiano Ronaldo's poor play to start, the United States' potential and more.
-
Will the gap between rural and urban America – and the gap between rich and poor America – decline or grow?
Noun
-
The mayor is banking on his popularity with working class New Yorkers and his antipathy towards Israel to put his candidates over the top.
-
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.
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.
-
Their attempts to destroy the bourgeois family were, like the efforts of Suzanna’s mother and grandmother, ambivalent and half-hearted.
Noun
-
His mother was born into Rome’s commercial bourgeoisie, but she had essentially been disinherited, nose-diving into the working class with a pair of children to raise.
-
Pratt, who did not respond to a request for comment, lost his Pacific Palisades home in the fires and has won over many frustrated city residents with his anti-establishment message and cheeky AI videos — including one casting him as Batman, taking on a corrupt Democratic bourgeoisie.
Adjective
-
The questions Campbell needs to answer are simple.
-
Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple.
Adjective
-
Instead, Valadao will face off against progressive Randy Villegas, a college professor and son of Mexican immigrants, who built grassroots support in the heavily Latino, working-class district.
-
Incumbents have run on the perception that the transplants who have moved into working-class neighborhoods are pushing residents out while imposing their politics on more moderate communities of color.
Cite this Entry
“Middle-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-class. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
