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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in working class
Related Words
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
Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2026
The middle-class professional and then-married father had led an astonishing double life while carrying out a string of brutal killings.
—Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Apr. 2026
But when rates jumped with inflation in the aftermath of the pandemic, monthly mortgage costs also rose for buyers and affording a home, a signifier of middle class status, became a top concern for voters under 40.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Adjective
In fact, Nicky and Morgan’s middle-class respectability conceals an overwhelming existential paralysis.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2026
The middle-class professional and then-married father had led an astonishing double life while carrying out a string of brutal killings.
—Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
What percentage of households in Texas are middle class?
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Apr. 2026
But when rates jumped with inflation in the aftermath of the pandemic, monthly mortgage costs also rose for buyers and affording a home, a signifier of middle class status, became a top concern for voters under 40.
—ABC News, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-class
Adjective
-
These closures reflect various factors, including poor investment returns, a lack of government support for refinery upgrades and higher carbon and energy costs.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2026
-
After McCandless and her council colleagues approved the sweeping tax breaks, King consistently spoke on how its planning process exemplified poor communication from the city, saying that current leaders should have advocated for a better deal for Independence.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Mamdani took office in January after a campaign centered on making New York City a more affordable place to live, centering his agenda on refocusing the vast power of government toward helping the city's struggling working class.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Apr. 2026
-
Mamdani took office in January after a campaign centered on making New York City a more affordable place to live, centering his agenda on refocusing the vast power of government toward helping the city’s struggling working class.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Perhaps Fogel, a fervent leftist, chafed at having to celebrate the family, that bourgeois institution.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
-
His savior was the experimental documentarian Harun Farocki, famous for provocative works that skewered bourgeois complacency.—
Holden Seidlitz,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The flashbacks to Emma’s adolescence, which Borgli films with some curiosity, are far more engaging than the film’s depictions of the chatty Boston bourgeoisie, which exude self-satisfied certainty.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Noasis, around the corner from Base Camp, is for families of tech bourgeoisie.—
Joe Hagan,
Vanity Fair,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Both include full integration of the climate controls into the screen, requiring more concentration to use and additional steps to make adjustments previously accomplished by pressing a simple button.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Scientists at Florida International University are developing a drug compound known as CTS2444-32, designed to reach deep brain regions affected by Parkinson's through a simple nasal delivery system.—
Ted Scouten,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
With the midterm dynamics, and Brown's strong working-class brand in the state, Democrats see an opening for a pick-up.—
Kaia Hubbard,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Probably with the early-1900s economic woes that drove his family from central Italy to this working-class block.—
Danielle Paquette The Washington Post,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Middle-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-class. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
