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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Against Australia in the last 16, Argentina were again labouring when faced with an inferior opponent, digging in and determined to spoil their World Cup dreams.
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Uruguay tied again, this time a 2-2 stalemate against another adversary that less than two weeks ago, pretty much every soccer pundit would have deemed inferior.
Adjective
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There are still a few days of group stage games to go, but Bosnia-Herzegovina's four points and three goals today have given it decent odds.
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For Sacramento, that means another afternoon with temps briefly in the low to mid-90s before a decent Delta breeze kicks in.
Adjective
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The driver of the pickup suffered minor injuries and declined the offer to be transported to a nearby hospital.
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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.
Adjective
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This high-impact look is a bit out of the ordinary for the star, save for that show-stopping blue eye makeup look—a literal something blue—to conclude The Drama press in April.
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My situation was, on some level, achingly ordinary.
Adjective
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The movement, with an 80-hour power reserve and a frequency of 4 Hz, is also home to a perpetual calendar and an equation of time display, showing the difference between mean solar time, shown on the main dial, and true solar time, which fluctuates due to the Earth’s elliptical orbit.
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Piña then says that Joe and Angela are mean to each other.
Adjective
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For writing, editing, spreadsheets, email, and web browsing, performance proved entirely satisfactory.
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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.
Adjective
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The peninsula, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to reclaim, has become the centerpiece of Kyiv’s campaign to demonstrate the reach of its increasingly advancing medium-range drone capabilities.
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Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat.
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 28 Jun. 2026.
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