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 The date stood out to Browning, who’d lost thousands in anticipated shillings when 584 steerage and 253 second-class passengers chose drowning in a Canadian river over registering at one of his boarding houses near the port of Liverpool. — Claire Carusillo, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026 Muslim residents have long complained of being treated like second-class citizens in Thailand, and separatist movements have been periodically active for decades. — ABC News, 23 July 2026 There, he’s attacked by The Denied, a militia group of non-benders who feel like second-class citizens in this world seeking an old totem of a prior Avatar known as Sonam. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 20 July 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 See All Example Sentences for second-class

Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-class

Adjective

Teams — worried about how a politically defiant Black quarterback on the roster would impact their bottom lines — over the next several seasons signed dozens of inferior quarterbacks to round out their depth charts.

— Mike Jones, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Luckily for the Hurricanes, the rest of their game on defense has held up against a pair of inferior opponents.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of inferior

Adjective

Food and drink The property’s on-site restaurant serves decent New American fare in a room that offers the same excellent views as the penthouses, or on the hotel’s delightful terrace during the warmer months.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
Iwelumo was a decent, albeit nomadic, forward who played professionally for almost two decades.

— Amitai Winehouse, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of decent

Adjective

Once in orbit at L2, only minor burns once every 28 days are needed for station keeping — a negligible amount of fuel.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 Sep. 2026
Everyone wants better decisions, particularly when their own team is on the wrong end of an injustice, minor or major.

— Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of minor

Adjective

McCuin has only good speed and ordinary size, but his route savvy, ball skills and competitive toughness separate him on tape.

— Dane Brugler, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Europol does not keep statistics on nihilistic violent extremism because definitions of it differ and acts can fall into the category of ordinary criminality as well as terrorism.

— Lorne Cook, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of ordinary

Adjective

Those movies are mean and funny, while this one is just mean.

— Katie Rife, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
Sally and Gillian blend up some mean frozen margaritas — a Frances and Jet tradition — during the reception, which is held on the old house’s moonlit lawn.

— Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of mean

Adjective

Not ready for prime time The video-generation technology rarely gets the content right on its first try, Sun said, adding that her team takes at least 10 attempts to create a satisfactory 15-second clip.

— Ling Wei, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
The ride quality in my tester was more than satisfactory; a good thing given the infamous Atlanta traffic.

— Jerry Perez, The Drive, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of satisfactory

Adjective

The Jays will need many moments in the next month to turn this mediocre season into one worth remembering.

— Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
The mediocre screen was an unpleasant surprise given that this thing advertised 100 percent sRGB gamut coverage when it was announced and on its product page for many weeks (the Internet Archive captures it here).

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of mediocre

Browse Nearby Words

second childhood

second-class

seconded

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Style

“Second-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-class. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of second-class

adjective

Example Sentences

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