SECOND-CLASS Synonyms: 120 Similar and Opposite Words

second-class

adjective

ˈse-kən(d)-ˈklas

Definition of second-class

as in inferior

of little or less value or merit a playwright who produced only second-class work when he turned his hand to poetry

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in decent

of average to below average quality it's only a second-class restaurant and not worth the high prices

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 second-class Throughout history, toxic males in many cultures have worked hard to limit women’s options, control their behavior and treat them as second-class human beings. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 June 2026 Ali refused to fight in the Vietnam War for a country that treated Black people as second-class citizens. — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 4 June 2026 Today, the resident commissioner is a second-class lawmaker. — Austin Bussing, The Conversation, 4 June 2026 Other personnel issues include changing the number of first-class patrol officers from 29 to 32 and the number of second-class patrol officers from six to two. — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for second-class

Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-class

Adjective

Distillers pushed for federal oversight to distinguish authentic whiskey from inferior products.

— Emily Price, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Brain MRIs also found an increase in the surface area of the inferior frontal gyrus in the MIND diet group.

— Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 25 July 2026

Definition of inferior

Adjective

In the Kyiv region, five people were wounded in the Brovary district, including a minor and two women, acting regional administration head Ruslan Oliinyk said on Facebook.

— ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
Anthony Joseph Ramon, 25, of Gilroy, was first arrested on July 9 and charged with committing lewd and lascivious acts on a minor, according to the Morgan Hill Police Department.

— Jason Green, Mercury News, 30 July 2026

Definition of minor

Adjective

Meals are taken family style, and the refinement of the cooking will ruin ordinary Indian restaurant fare for you.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Aug. 2026
For Neha Bora, a student leader who took part in a hunger strike in New Delhi, the movement showed that ordinary citizens could still hold those in power to account.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of ordinary

Adjective

In fact, an evening walk may help travelers avoid some of the hot afternoon sun since the mean maximum temperatures sits at a whopping 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Park Service (NPS).

— Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 3 Aug. 2026
In 2023, that index was just shy of 97, meaning the mean family could afford a home.

— Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 29 July 2026

Definition of mean

Adjective

This matters because ringing up more sales outside the morning coffee rush can help keep Starbucks’ comps growing at satisfactory clips as year-over-year comparisons get tougher.

— Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 30 July 2026
Police responses can also lead to trauma for that person or a less satisfactory outcome than another community service response would produce, Duckett said.

— Scott Maucione, NPR, 27 July 2026

Definition of satisfactory

Adjective

While more than a third of the images generated had medium skin tones, only nine percent had dark skin tones.

— Jaimie Potters, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026
Europe's headline index tracks 600 large, medium, and small capitalization companies across 17 European countries, and is essentially the continent's equivalent of the S&P 500.

— Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of medium

Adjective

An investor who bought apartments in a great city and an investor who bought single-family rentals in a mediocre one ended 2025 in very different positions, and the map explains neither outcome.

— Tony Julianelle, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
For the most part, this tax asymmetry triggers only mediocre productivity gains.

— Daron Acemoglu, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026

Definition of mediocre

Browse Nearby Words

second childhood

second-class

seconded

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Second-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-class. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of second-class

adjective

Example Sentences

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Cite this Entry

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