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
Allison Schrager, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
Instead, the middle class is splintering along generational lines.
—National Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 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
More Americans joined the upper middle class in the last few decades and can afford nicer, bigger homes.
—Allison Schrager, Boston Herald, 31 May 2026
Instead, the middle class is splintering along generational lines.
—National Correspondent, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-class
Adjective
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Common travel regrets stem from preventable issues like poor planning, budget problems, and choosing the wrong companions.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
O’Farrell’s inclination for narratives propelled by brutal coincidence and fatally poor timing tenders a Hardy-esque vision of the world, one that emphasizes the rigid, often cruel limits of an individual’s jurisdiction over the course of their life.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Strictly speaking, Connie is an aristocrat and Mellors is working class.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
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The third season, Devil In Silver, is based on the book by Victor LaValle, about a working class man mistakenly committed to a psychiatric hospital where things get very, very dark.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 May 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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With higher prices and a looming billionaire wealth tax, the Golden State continues to see both working-class residents and wealthy business owners leaving for more affordable cities.—
Lindsay Kornick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
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Early in the session, the siblings began by reflecting on their childhoods growing up in a working-class neighborhood in Chicago, and the experiences that led them on contrasting career paths.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Middle-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-class. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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