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
The three leads rightly received Best Actress honors in the Un Certain Regard section for their raw portrayal of the headstrong women at the center of an unraveling middle-class family in San José, Costa Rica. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026 How do two middle-class lads in ratty threads, who might very well have both been played by Robert Pattinson, fast-track an appointment with Jesus? — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
Noun
During his first two terms, a commodities boom helped lift millions of Brazilians out of poverty and into the middle class. — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026 Commenters noted that the wealthy buyers would by then be long gone, with only the middle class wandering the aisles and purchasing nothing. — News Desk, Artforum, 22 Oct. 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
  • Disease that has spread to those organs is associated with poorer treatment outcomes.
    — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
  • They were frustrated with teacher shortages and poor conditions at schools, including overcrowded classrooms and dilapidated buildings.
    — James Cirrone , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of poor
Noun
  • Research from the Diamond diversity monitor has revealed the scale of the UK TV industry’s working class problem, and found that the problem infects both the upper and lower echelons of the sector.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2026
  • In 1381, England’s working class grabbed their pitchforks and rose against tyrannical landlords, extortionate taxes, and the stranglehold of serfdom.
    — Alessandra Schade, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of working class
Adjective
  • The homes where poor people lived have invariably vanished, whether in Paris or in the provinces, whereas bourgeois homes are still standing.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Doctrinaire critics accused her of being bourgeois, formalist, decadent.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of bourgeois
Noun
  • There is possibly no better example of foods that are anti-bourgeoisie than sandwiches and hot dogs, which means Wheeler’s recent career shift makes a lot of sense.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Wilde stars with and directs a stellar trio — Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton — in an anxiety-inducing drama of a dinner party between a pair of extremely differing yet similarly bourgeoisie couples.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of bourgeoisie
Adjective
  • According to Fulton County jail records, New has been arrested multiple times on suspicion of crimes including identity theft, insurance fraud, financial transaction card fraud, forgery and simple assault.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • For this black jeans outfit idea, wear your go-to pair with a simple, breathable Oxford shirt that’s ideal for the office or dinner dates alike.
    — India Roby, Glamour, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of simple
Adjective
  • Its founders, Tomm Moore, Paul Young and Nora Twomey, met while studying animation at Ballyfermot College, a vocational school in a working-class Dublin suburb.
    — Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • But, ultimately, Brown lost because many working-class voters had moved on from the Democrats.
    — Dan Kaufman, New Yorker, 27 Oct. 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 4 Nov. 2026.

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