as in aristocratic
of high birth, rank, or station
upper-class boys who had an entrenched sense of entitlement
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in aristocracy
the highest class in a society
a school founded to educate the children of the upper class
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of upper-class
Air Mail, 23 May 2026
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón and starring a cast of relatively unknown Mexican actors, the black-and-white film follows Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), a housekeeper for an upper-class family in the 1970s, where Cuarón himself grew up.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Apr. 2026
Samira Mehta, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
But Achane is in the upper class of running backs.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upper-class
Adjective
Built up in the 1870s as a resort for nuclear families, Fire Island was destroyed by a hurricane in the 1930s, which quickly chased away its upper-class vacationers.
—Air Mail, 23 May 2026
Directed by Alfonso Cuarón and starring a cast of relatively unknown Mexican actors, the black-and-white film follows Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), a housekeeper for an upper-class family in the 1970s, where Cuarón himself grew up.
—James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Apr. 2026
Noun
Basic birth control methods had been part of American life for a long time – as evidenced by a declining birth rate among the middle and upper class, starting in the middle of the 19th century.
—Samira Mehta, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
But Achane is in the upper class of running backs.
—Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upper-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upper-class
Adjective
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Fitzgibbons is known for being the chairman of event-planning firm Fait Accompli, which is the go-to wedding organizer within British aristocratic circles.—
Elise Taylor,
Vanity Fair,
11 June 2026
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Born in San Antonio to a mother who was a maid to his aristocratic father, who refused to claim him.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
Noun
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Few figures of the 20th century generated as much scrutiny—or controversy—from the press and the European aristocracy as Wallis Simpson.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
15 June 2026
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Diana was born into the British aristocracy before marrying Prince Charles.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
Noun
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Intelligence is a little like the concept of nobility, said Alison Gopnik, a psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who has pioneered techniques for studying the cognitive abilities of babies and children.—
F.D. Flam,
Twin Cities,
22 Nov. 2025
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The new 2022 law called for reforming the teaching of Franco in schools, expanding reparations for Franco’s victims, introducing fines for displaying monuments to the old regime, abolishing some 33 titles of nobility awarded by Franco, and banning the Francisco Franco Foundation.—
Omar G. Encarnación,
Time,
20 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Her dalliance with England's upper crust didn't stop there, either — the baker went on to provide the cake for Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday in 2016.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Sep. 2025
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Even with the other guys' admonitions not to, under any circumstances, be themselves, Dee and Charlie's improbable success in charming these scions of the Philly upper crust had the guys — and us — both baffled and anxiously awaiting an ugly twist.—
Dennis Perkins,
EW.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
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Grammer will play Lord Fairfax, the unofficial leader of the Virginia gentry who has a complicated relationship to young George Washington as both his crucial mentor and as the father of his romantic rival.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
29 Aug. 2025
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Public Health and Race in Los Angeles, 1879-1939, Natalia Molina systematically breaks down how, more than a century ago, the Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican communities of Los Angeles were portrayed as health threats to the white gentry.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Upper-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upper-class. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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