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
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
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Learning how to be the favorite, who plays under the pressure of expectation, instead of how to be the underdog, who plays with the freedom of the unexpected, can make plenty of players vulnerable against an inferior foe at the business end of a tournament.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
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This has encouraged debates on the extent to which metajournalism is different from—or even inferior to—existing practices of journalism.—
Steve Paulussen,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Give it a really decent mix and that's fine.—
Emily Elias,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 June 2026
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Teams are obviously attracted to the combination of size, body, work ethic, leadership, poise, shot and decent skill.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
3 June 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
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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
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Trump has effectively cast journalists as a separate special-interest group—apart from ordinary American citizens.—
Adrienne LaFrance,
The Atlantic,
1 June 2026
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For ordinary consumer debts, a debt collector almost always needs a court judgment before garnishing anything.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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The gaggle of former mean girls who have grown into mean women is in the midst of discussing Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones, a choice that initially seems like a clever little Easter Egg.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
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MacKinnon trusts him, which is no mean feat.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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The mayor’s office statement indicates that resolution was satisfactory enough to lead to Yancey’s reinstatement to her high-ranking position.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
3 June 2026
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The keyboard on the TravelMate P6 was perfectly satisfactory in my brief stabs at typing.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
These medium candles come in a frosted jar with fragrances composed of essential oils.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
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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
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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
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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 6 Jun. 2026.
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