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
Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 June 2026
There's enough room for preferential housing for hundreds of middle-class veterans who work at the VA hospital, or student veterans.
—Quil Lawrence, NPR, 2 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
Most first-rounders should therefore heighten in value, as middle-class teams will feel more inclined to keep their picks and cross their fingers.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 June 2026
There's enough room for preferential housing for hundreds of middle-class veterans who work at the VA hospital, or student veterans.
—Quil Lawrence, NPR, 2 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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Simone Bellotti’s Jil Sander introduces precision tailoring with pops of emotion and color, while Celine under Michael Rider leans into bourgeoisie dressing with clashes of primary colors and razor sharp lines that is extremely persuasive.—
Alex Badia,
Footwear News,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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The actor, 39, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of simple battery in a Louisiana criminal court Wednesday, June 3, according to records obtained by USA TODAY.—
Liza Esquibias,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
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At the time, the New Orleans Police Department confirmed its officers charged LaBeouf with two counts of simple battery for allegedly assaulting two men near a bar in the French Quarter.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
3 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 10 Jun. 2026.
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