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
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
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More broadly, the idea that White players are inherently inferior no longer matches reality.
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This is because Austria would have remained on three points but with an inferior goal difference to Iran in the third-place standings (minus one to zero).
Adjective
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Find a quiet gate, buy a decent coffee, use your noise-canceling headphones.
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Rear-seat passengers get decent legroom and the cargo area is practical enough for road trips, shopping runs or airport duty.
Adjective
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Three other people in the vehicle, including a 6-month-old, had minor injuries, the report said.
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The adult and child had minor to moderate injuries and were taken to the hospital, the fire department said.
Adjective
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Lander also backs an ultra-wealth tax on individuals worth over $1 billion, as well as the Equal Tax Act, which matches tax rates for capital gains and ordinary income over $1 million.
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In 2022 long-term acute care hospitals accounted for 56 percent of screening detections and ordinary acute care hospitals for 25; by 2024 the proportions had inverted, to 36 and 51.
Adjective
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The quartet eventually broke America with later albums, but Arctic Monkeys songs were faster, funnier, and meaner in 2006.
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Chen noted that the FDA approval was based on a single clinical trial with a mean participant age of 47, and nearly 74% of participants were women.
Adjective
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Kelley said the company believed the existing easement was satisfactory and wasn’t told otherwise until after investing years of work on he project.
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For writing, editing, spreadsheets, email, and web browsing, performance proved entirely satisfactory.
Adjective
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McDonald's is giving away a free order of medium fries for National Fry Day on July 10 with a $1 minimum purchase in the app, according to a press release shared with PEOPLE.
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Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat (for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off; for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side); lightly oil grate with vegetable oil.
Adjective
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And a mediocre company can become an extraordinary one when almost everyone has already given up.
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Instead, Peralta has been worse than mediocre.
Cite this Entry
“Second-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-class. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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