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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of second-class
Ron comes to realize that his fulltime commitment to Jay has nullified his own needs, making his family feel like second-class citizens, especially his justifiably impatient wife Lois (Greta Gerwig).
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
About nine months after assuming power, al-Sharaa’s new regime is struggling to consolidate its authority, in large measure because Syrian minority groups are concerned they will be treated as second-class citizens — or worse — by the Sunni Islamists who now rule Damascus.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
Having second-class citizens of color in a country that touted its democracy and model as the best-in-the-world was a real liability during WWII.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 10 Aug. 2025
On the weekend of August 9, the Okmulgee Roy LeBlanc Invitational Rodeo marks its 70th year, the legacy of two dozen Black businessmen, farmers and ranchers frustrated with the second-class treatment accorded to Black rodeo competitors and their fans in the 1950s.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-class
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2025
About nine months after assuming power, al-Sharaa’s new regime is struggling to consolidate its authority, in large measure because Syrian minority groups are concerned they will be treated as second-class citizens — or worse — by the Sunni Islamists who now rule Damascus.
—Daniel Depetris, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
Having second-class citizens of color in a country that touted its democracy and model as the best-in-the-world was a real liability during WWII.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 10 Aug. 2025
On the weekend of August 9, the Okmulgee Roy LeBlanc Invitational Rodeo marks its 70th year, the legacy of two dozen Black businessmen, farmers and ranchers frustrated with the second-class treatment accorded to Black rodeo competitors and their fans in the 1950s.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-class
Adjective
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That's one child experiencing death by a thousand cuts with these inferior sequels.—
Chris Snellgrove,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
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But grit and resolve can only take a team so far when its active roster is inferior to many of its opponents, and that is the situation the red and gold currently face.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The University of Florida product made a decent impact his rookie season, appearing in 12 games and rushing 38 times for 161 yards and a touchdown.—
Noah Camras,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Meanwhile, food aboard the International Space Station and the Tiangong leaves much to be desired, with the menus reading like something more suited to iron rations for a Round Britain yacht race than a decent meal.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
This was a minor bit of incomprehension on my part.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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He is being charged in juvenile court with evidence tampering and unlawful gun possession by a minor.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Obviously, fastidious double-entry bookkeeping reduces the margin for error, even in complicated accounts, but more than that, once accounts become commonplace, ordinary people begin to think of the world in terms of accounts.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Nov. 2025
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But this isn’t an ordinary cookbook, one with 30-minute recipes and sensible serving sizes.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Protecting her peace proved more difficult, however, when the Queen of Rap began firing off increasingly mean-spirited posts about her on X this past summer.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
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And people were just saying very mean things about me.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Overall, the sound quality is comparable to that of a basic Bluetooth speaker—more than satisfactory for an AIO PC.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
15 Oct. 2025
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According to a poll conducted by the company, eight out of 10 users were happy with the experience, while another one in five described it as satisfactory.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Cover and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, about 15 minutes.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
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Cook on medium to high heat for 3-4 hours.—
Bethany Thayer,
Freep.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
How mediocre competitively balanced is the East right now?—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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And an example could have been made with one of the Dolphins’ mediocre starters.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Second-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-class. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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