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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.

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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
No one considers states subsidizing Tom Cruise’s salary an attempt to save good-paying middle-class jobs, like a grip or focus puller. — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 2 Sep. 2026 Frey grew up near Detroit, a comfortably middle-class kid obsessed with Jack Kerouac and his city’s soul hit factory. — Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork, 30 Aug. 2026
Noun
On the brand level, pricing and product-mix strategies become increasingly important as the middle class shifts their value perception. — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026 In fact, in Sunnyvale, Fremont, Santa Clara and San Mateo, a household has to make in the $300K-plus range to be considered upper middle class. — Pueng Vongs, Mercury News, 31 Aug. 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
  • The following season, Chelsea topped their Champions League group, but poor Premier League form saw Mourinho sacked in mid-December.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Many are in poor shape, with thin, uninsulated walls, leaky windows, old or broken swamp coolers and electrical systems that can't always handle air conditioners.
    — Alejandra Borunda, NPR, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of poor
Noun
  • But according to the study, half of upper-income adults—those earning above $155,600 annually—now also see themselves as working class.
    — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026
  • The film, Lee’s first since Burning, follows the intersection of two families — one working class, the other rich.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of working class
Adjective
  • Animals could offer liberatory models to throw off bourgeois conventions, returning Surrealists to primal ways of being.
    — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • What the story is actually about almost doesn’t matter — just enjoy the quiet luxury of it all, with the ever-endearing Fabrice Luchini in the lead doing yet another bumbling, bourgeois gentleman of a certain age.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of bourgeois
Noun
  • 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
  • For a long time, the lifestyles and foibles of the modest bourgeoisie were a mainstay of art-house cinema, with urbane, upscale audiences happy to turn out to see versions of their own lives depicted on the screen.
    — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026
Definition of bourgeoisie
Adjective
  • Underpinning this assessment is the fact that disagreements between the two nations have gradually expanded beyond simple tariff disputes.
    — , CNBC, 9 Sep. 2026
  • In simple terms, cherry juice targets the muscle inflammation caused by exercise, known as oxidative stress.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • The study found a similar divergence in opinions among working-class Latino voters.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Workforce housing is meant to cater to working-class households making a certain amount above the median income in their area, but has been criticized for not actually being affordable for the average worker.
    — Daniel Rivero, Miami Herald, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of working-class

Browse Nearby Words

middle-agers
middle-class
middle class
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Cite this Entry

“Middle-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-class. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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