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
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 days of Southern Black Christians submitting to second-class treatment in the house of the Lord had ended.
—
Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
Anne Madarasz, chief historian and director of the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at the Heinz History Center, says Woodruff was one of just 18 Black athletes who traveled to Berlin that year to represent a country that, in many ways, still treated them as second-class citizens.
—Christopher Derose, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2026
Mindanaoans had felt like second-class Filipinos for longer than the country had been independent.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Women are second-class citizens and must cover their hair and wear loose-fitting clothing in all public spaces.
—Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for second-class
Literary Hub, 4 Mar. 2026
Anne Madarasz, chief historian and director of the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at the Heinz History Center, says Woodruff was one of just 18 Black athletes who traveled to Berlin that year to represent a country that, in many ways, still treated them as second-class citizens.
—Christopher Derose, CBS News, 21 Feb. 2026
Mindanaoans had felt like second-class Filipinos for longer than the country had been independent.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Women are second-class citizens and must cover their hair and wear loose-fitting clothing in all public spaces.
—Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for second-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-class
Adjective
-
Additionally, their overall air defense capabilities have been greatly constrained by their lack of AIM-120 air-to-air missiles, leaving them with inferior, much less reliable, shorter-range missiles.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Joseph maintained she was retaliated against by the athletic department for complaining about the inferior treatment of her team and the coaching staff.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Kochanowicz got off to a decent start, despite getting hit in the foot by a sharp comebacker.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
27 May 2026
-
Overall, Edeme does feel like the industry, including mainstream media outlets, have done a decent job in giving her her flowers.—
Susan Akyeampong,
Allure,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
Some lawns may only need a minor nutrient application, which is usually permitted at any time.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 May 2026
-
Rumfield’s minor-league numbers were strong, but he was blocked in the Bronx by Ben Rice, who has become a star at first base.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
Trump has effectively cast journalists as a separate special-interest group—apart from ordinary American citizens.—
Adrienne LaFrance,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
-
For ordinary consumer debts, a debt collector almost always needs a court judgment before garnishing anything.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Teen Choice Awards for her time as iconic mean girl Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl?—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
In the meantime, the swarm of online trolls in the Raygun thread got bolder and meaner.—
Lyz Lenz,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
At this price point, the panel is satisfactory.—
Ben Sin,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
And it’s been met with satisfactory approval.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
These medium candles come in a frosted jar with fragrances composed of essential oils.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
The hamburger chain announced that on National Hamburger Day, Thursday, May 28, Whataburger Rewards members can order a medium order of fries and a medium drink, either online or by scanning the app in-store, and get a free Whataburger.—
Natassia Paloma,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Winnipeg’s power play was mediocre last season; a merely average 20 percent rate would have been worth three or four more goals.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
-
Those references were firmly planted in 2010s millennial nostalgia, which is reflected in the characters, particularly Oscar Isaac’s Josh Martin, the general manager of an exclusive California country club and a mediocre synth player who’s a huge fan of the English pop band Hot Chip.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Second-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-class. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
