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

With the 25th anniversary of the war’s start, my mind turns to Joshua Webster — 21 years old at the time, a 6-foot-4 Californian from a middle-class Catholic family. — Martha Raddatz, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026 Said was born into a middle-class family in Jerusalem, Palestine, in 1935. — Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026

Noun

India’s rapidly growing middle class is increasingly eager for international travel, and Chapman says there is a strong draw toward destinations with deep Hindu heritage. — Lilit Marcus, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026 Economic liberalization in the 1990s strengthened that belief, with the expansion of information technology and engineering sectors creating new opportunities for an emerging middle class. — Aakash Hassan, Christian Science Monitor, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for middle-class

Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-class

Adjective

Europe is expected to have a particularly poor corn harvest and needs larger imports just as its demand for feed remains high.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2026
Reese is known as a poor shooter, and is often mocked for missing easy shots in games.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of poor

Noun

Based on conversations with constituents from our district, this economy has gotten worse for working class families.

— Josh Bergeron, Charlotte Observer, 14 Oct. 2026
The film is an ensemble piece, following two married couples — one working class, the other wealthy — who cross paths during the production of a documentary.

— Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of working class

Adjective

Its formless body accommodated slouching, lounging or lying down, selling freedom from both conventional posture and the bourgeois living room.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
The group wanted to start fresh further from the bourgeois action, and in 2000 Middleton and Lakofski found a place in the Lower East Side, signed a contract — and returned home to discover that Walton had killed himself.

— Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of bourgeois

Noun

When the arcade first opened, Europe was navigating industrialization, the rise of the urban bourgeoisie, and the emergence of modern ready-to-wear fashion.

— Eleonora Giordani, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
The state discovered that reforms had to be beneficial to all, and so the political mission had to be implementing education and acculturation as a means of solidifying the nascent bourgeoisie.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of bourgeoisie

Adjective

His lyrics, his hooks, his unmistakable voice, his optimism, his belief in the power of a simple song to make people feel good.

— Chris Willman, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
Some people want to change the world, and others want to operate in simple harmony with it and savor life.

— Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of simple

Adjective

President Donald Trump‘s appearance in Youngstown, Ohio, on Monday underlines the Mahoning Valley as a bellwether of whether Democrats can win back the white, working-class voters that have rapidly shifted away from the party in recent years.

— Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
The memoirs of twentieth-century working-class politicians across the Western world echo with testimonies to the power of words.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 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 17 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of middle-class

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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