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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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
From a middle-class Massachusetts family, Cook first took the mic in Boston as a teenager, skyrocketing to fame by the mid-2000s with a uniquely hands-on approach to building his fan base on MySpace. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 28 Sep. 2026 The book is a global novel about middle-class families without generational wealth who are trying to educate their children. — Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026
Noun
The changing geography coincides with a growing Latino middle class, with nearly one-third of Latino households in Chicago now earning at least $100,000 a year. — Allison Kiehl, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026 Unions built the middle class, and the middle class built this country. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 7 Sep. 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
  • Such diagnoses can carry an extraordinarily poor neonatal prognosis.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Road accidents are frequent in Africa’s most populous country, in part due to poor road conditions and lax enforcement of traffic laws.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of poor
Noun
  • 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
  • Matsui has leaned on her experience and cited a record of delivering resources to the region, while Vang has called for new leadership and emphasized working class families.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of working class
Adjective
  • 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
  • The latest lesson was about the aristocratic and bourgeois aspect of Gucci.
    — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 25 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
  • That single choice unleashes a harrowing chain of strange and terrifying events in the dead of night, turning a simple gesture of kindness into a real-life nightmare.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Waffles and pimento Another enduring element of Chick-fil-A is its famously simple menu.
    — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • Berman, 40, leans into his working-class background when talking to voters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Yet three successive Democratic presidential campaigns willfully ignored these flashing sirens, instead insisting that Green New Deals and diversity, equity and inclusion programs would appeal to working-class Latino men.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 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 8 Oct. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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