middle-class 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of middle-classnext
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

middle class

2 of 2

noun

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
Adjective
The newspaper doubled down over the weekend, reporting that Beckett and Ranganathan had made jokes about Acaster’s middle-class background. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 3 Nov. 2026 With housing costs a top concern among Californians, voters casting their ballots in the November election are considering a multi-billion dollar plan that aims to help prospective middle-class homebuyers by offering down payment assistance. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026
Noun
Meanwhile, Connecticut’s own tax fairness studies have shown the combined state and municipal tax systems have disproportionately burdened the poor and middle class. — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 29 Oct. 2026 By 2010, the Latino population in Maricopa County had diversified to include a large Spanish-speaking middle class. — Michael Kiefer, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-class
  1. poor
  2. working class
  3. bourgeois
  4. bourgeoisie
  5. simple
  6. working-class
Adjective
  • Nearby residents have argued that the large apartment complex will be a poor fit for their neighborhood, citing concerns about traffic congestion and fire department access, among other things.
    — Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The Lions’ high-flying offense is at its best on turf, not nearly as fast on grass, and their poor red zone defense has been an issue.
    — Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of poor
Noun
  • Vang, the most liberal member of the Sacramento City Council, built her campaign around the need for generational change and progressive policies to help working class families.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 11 Nov. 2026
  • But the 84-year-old rocker’s beginnings were humble, growing up in a working class household in Liverpool, northwest England.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of working class
Adjective
  • And bourgeois education dragging down the individual subconscious.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The homes where poor people lived have invariably vanished, whether in Paris or in the provinces, whereas bourgeois homes are still standing.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of bourgeois
Noun
  • There is possibly no better example of foods that are anti-bourgeoisie than sandwiches and hot dogs, which means Wheeler’s recent career shift makes a lot of sense.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Wilde stars with and directs a stellar trio — Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton — in an anxiety-inducing drama of a dinner party between a pair of extremely differing yet similarly bourgeoisie couples.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of bourgeoisie
Adjective
  • Cutforth found a wide-open Riley with a simple swing pass out to the left, giving the junior running back plenty of space to showcase his speed and beat several Rams defensive backs to find the end zone.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Made of large, rigid plastic panels, Hardig’s invention was designed to be weather- and insect-proof, simple to clean and maintain, and lightweight and easy to move.
    — Sarah Kuta, Popular Science, 8 Nov. 2026
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • Still, Becerra, who grew up in a working-class immigrant family, has shown a personal interest in allying with organized labor.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The 40-year-old Crowley also talked about his own experience growing up in poverty and with working-class parents who battled substance abuse and mental health issues during the city's crack-cocaine epidemic.
    — Maayan Silver, NPR, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of working-class

Browse Nearby Words

middle-agers
middle-class
middle class
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Middle-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-class. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All