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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as in working class
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of middle-class
Tom Tapp, Deadline, 18 June 2025
Yet the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, judging by what the House of Representatives has passed and what the Senate is now considering, showers direct tax benefits much more on wealthy Americans than on poor or middle-class taxpayers.
—Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2025
Joan C. Williams
june 13, Literary Hub, 13 June 2025
Originally, President Donald Trump wanted to exempt lower and middle class taxpayers from Social Security taxes.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Adjective
While arguably the premier franchise in the NBA, the Lakers have in the past few years had a comparatively middle-class ownership dependent largely on their TV deal with Spectrum Sports.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 18 June 2025
Yet the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, judging by what the House of Representatives has passed and what the Senate is now considering, showers direct tax benefits much more on wealthy Americans than on poor or middle-class taxpayers.
—Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2025
Noun
One or even two pink-collar jobs means a fragile hold in the middle class (at best); the best defense against downward mobility is a blue-collar job, only 17 percent of which are held by women.
—Joan C. Williams
june 13, Literary Hub, 13 June 2025
Originally, President Donald Trump wanted to exempt lower and middle class taxpayers from Social Security taxes.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-class
Adjective
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Due to poor cell reception in the area, 911 calls kept dropping as witnesses scrambled to reach first responders.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2025
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For example, when a company pivots, a poor communicator’s vague memo creates fear.—
Lori Huss,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Noun
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Mamdani seeks to speak for the city’s working class, yet his voters appear to trend not just younger but whiter, richer, and more male than Cuomo’s.—
Eric Lach,
New Yorker,
13 June 2025
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On his first day on the job, Marcelo observes the double standard at play in a system that protects the wealthy, while keeping the working class in their place — the same dynamic by which someone like himself could be snuffed without recrimination.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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The Rue Jacob is decorated in ugly bourgeois tones of: beige and brown, nineteenth-century paintings, Louis-Philippe furniture.—
Constance Debré,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
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Some transplants want to live in Nice’s Old Town in historic bourgeois buildings — a more expensive location for apartments that can be pricey to maintain.—
Marnie Hunter,
CNN Money,
29 May 2025
Noun
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La Notte, another standout, sees her light up a contemplative drama about the Italian bourgeoisie.—
Rob LeDonne,
Vogue,
6 June 2025
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This creative evolution has expanded papier-mâché’s market appeal, with a new generation of clientele emerging – a group that includes interior designers, a local urban bourgeoisie, and international buyers.—
Fahad Shah,
Christian Science Monitor,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In his formal lecture to the Academy, Campbell offered some reflections on the simple science that gave rise to the treatment, and to its wide array of applications.—
Benjamin Mazer,
The Atlantic,
17 June 2025
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While to some these screen-free devices may seem like a return to the early, simpler days of fitness trackers, Werring says the public is a bit more savvy than the step-counting obsessives of the 2010s.—
Andrew Williams,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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His pride in his craft was not simply a working-class man identifying with his trade; it was rooted in the shrewdness of his own youthful decision-making.—
Jelani Cobb,
New Yorker,
14 June 2025
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Today’s steakhouses can trace their roots to 17th-century English chophouses that catered to working-class men.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Middle-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-class. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.
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