1
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
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Recent Examples of second-class
As the latter became emblematic of comfort and success, the former came to be seen as down-market or second-class.
—
Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2026
These are highly competitive guys who, for the most part, don’t like being considered, well, second-class citizens, in a sense.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
The question is, will the Court also rule that women deserve full Equal Protection rights on the grounds that no woman should bleed to death in combat as a second-class citizen?
—Wendy Murphy, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
The days of Southern Black Christians submitting to second-class treatment in the house of the Lord had ended.
—Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for second-class
Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2026
These are highly competitive guys who, for the most part, don’t like being considered, well, second-class citizens, in a sense.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
The question is, will the Court also rule that women deserve full Equal Protection rights on the grounds that no woman should bleed to death in combat as a second-class citizen?
—Wendy Murphy, Boston Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
The days of Southern Black Christians submitting to second-class treatment in the house of the Lord had ended.
—Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for second-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-class
Adjective
-
That makes for a more compelling value proposition, useful in daily life, versus a more specialized machine with inferior performance.—
Matthew Buzzi,
PC Magazine,
14 June 2026
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People mock Americans for using the word because the rest of the world likes a chance to make the superpower feel inferior.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
There is still a decent spread amongst model guidance, but a track farther north would result in a better chance of severe weather, while a track farther south would lead to more general rain showers and thunderstorms.—
Trey Fulbright,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
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Accompaniment assigns first priority to those in greatest need and those most likely to be left out of dignified and decent treatment.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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The driver of the pickup suffered minor injuries and declined the offer to be transported to a nearby hospital.—
CBS Baltimore Staff,
CBS News,
21 June 2026
-
After signing a minor-league deal earlier in the month, outfielder Jarred Kelenic was entered into the Texas Rangers’ starting lineup in the 6-4 extra-innings loss to the San Diego Padres on Saturday at Globe Life Field.—
Cal Phillips,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
The company’s founders say the idea came from watching ordinary people struggle to access opportunities that increasingly depended on technical knowledge.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
-
Late Thursday, the plaintiffs filed a motion asking the court to order the Pentagon to resume its ordinary review process for new wind energy projects.—
Jennifer McDermott,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Just being in the room and coming up with these really mean-spirited insults and the kind of backstabbing that those performers played so brilliantly and just elevated with every choice.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
-
If politics is reasserting itself in Russia, what does that potentially mean?—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Iran hawks and an array of dissidents and mainstream voices within the Republican Party have cast doubt on whether the agreement secured satisfactory concessions from Iran.—
Matthew Kelly
Updated June 18,
Kansas City Star,
18 June 2026
-
In several tweets shared to X on Monday, June 15, the 44-year-old former professional soccer player called out the company for allegedly delaying a flight and not resolving the issue in a satisfactory manner.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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Hand-rolled with tobaccos grown higher than 3,500 feet above sea level on Plasencia’s Finca San Julián in Condega, the cigar has a café con crema aroma and medium-plus flavors of grass and leather, accented by a natural sweetness locked into the higher-elevation leaves.—
Richard Carleton Hacker,
Robb Report,
19 June 2026
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The new variant is tailored to launch medium-class satellites at lower cost than the heavier version of the H3 with two or four strap-on boosters.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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The game was pretty mediocre aside from the very beginning and the very end, when Qatar’s injury-time equalizer was met with a shocked wave of sound from the large lawn, but again, no one really seemed to mind.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
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Usually bad Red Sox teams tend to have good to mediocre lineups and poor pitching and defense.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Second-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-class. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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