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
as in working class
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of middle-class
Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026
Republicans swiftly rejected Nixon’s proposal, and GOP leaders appear more focused on framing the ballot amendment as a boon for middle-class homeowners.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 3 June 2026
Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
Across all groups, survey respondents said policies help wealthy people (+60 net), billionaires (+57), and corporations (+54)—while hurting low-income people (–26), young people (–20), and the middle class (–18).
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Adjective
Levy and O'Hara are pitch-perfect as Gerry and Cookie Fleck, a middle-class couple who enter their dog, Winky, into the Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 June 2026
Republicans swiftly rejected Nixon’s proposal, and GOP leaders appear more focused on framing the ballot amendment as a boon for middle-class homeowners.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 3 June 2026
Noun
Talarico said the theory allows billionaires to steal from the middle class by puppeteering politicians.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
Across all groups, survey respondents said policies help wealthy people (+60 net), billionaires (+57), and corporations (+54)—while hurting low-income people (–26), young people (–20), and the middle class (–18).
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-class
Adjective
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The second didn’t go nearly as well for Bussi as Karlsson and Howden scored on two of the Golden Knights’ six shots in the period to tie the score at 3-3 heading into the third, the tying goal coming off a Seth Jarvis turnover and a couple of poor defensive plays by Sean Walker and K’Andre Miller.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
Heat radiates from the pages of this extraordinary novel about a poor family in rural Mississippi in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
How better for the billionaires to get the sympathy of working class fans?—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
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To Mike Madrid, a Republican consultant who has studied Latino voters, Becerra’s campaign represents a shift in Democratic politics away from the most progressive parts of the state and toward a more working class orientation.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
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
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And their struggle, within their world, to lead a good life, to lead a life that has meaning—their struggle between whether to pursue romantic adventure or a staid, bourgeois life—felt very real to me, at age twenty-five.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
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.—
Andrea Bajani,
New Yorker,
7 June 2026
-
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.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
My wife goes into the kitchen and returns with beer, fruit, and a few simple dishes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
The measure needs a simple majority to win.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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Villegas built grassroots support in the heavily Latino, working-class district, running on policies such as Medicare for All and not accepting corporate money.—
Mathew Miranda
June 9,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
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Inspector Thomas Lynley, eighth earl of Asherton and generally natty guy played by Nathaniel Parker, and his distinctly working-class and perpetually disheveled sergeant, Barbara Havers (Sharon Small), creates a classic odd-couple mix that allows some actual insight into issues of class and gender.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Middle-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-class. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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