as in middle class
the class of people who earn money by doing usually physical work and who are not rich or powerful
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as in middle-class
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Recent Examples of working class
Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
But the film's profundity lies in its understanding that the thief, like so much of postwar Italy’s working class, is in the same boat as Antonio.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Dec. 2025
Julie Raskin, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
The site is on the edge of Martindale-Brightwood, an area that has been home to working-class Black families and industrial companies, according to the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis.
—Amelia Pak-Harvey, IndyStar, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for working class
Noun
Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City on Thursday, taking over one of the most unrelenting jobs in American politics with a promise to transform government on behalf of the city’s striving, struggling working class.
—Anthony Izaguirre, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
But the film's profundity lies in its understanding that the thief, like so much of postwar Italy’s working class, is in the same boat as Antonio.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Dec. 2025
Adjective
The climate crisis has already drained the bank accounts of working-class New Yorkers in communities with higher average rates of homeownership, such as Jamaica, Co-op City, and Stapleton, who are absorbing the costs of growing flood damages.
—Julie Raskin, New York Daily News, 18 Jan. 2026
The site is on the edge of Martindale-Brightwood, an area that has been home to working-class Black families and industrial companies, according to the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis.
—Amelia Pak-Harvey, IndyStar, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for working class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for working class
Noun
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As a child in the Palisades, Pratt grew up comfortably upper-middle class.—
Rachel Brodsky,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Jan. 2026
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Black-majority communities face distinct banking desert challenges, for both poor and middle class Black families.—
Beverly Moran,
The Conversation,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Consider two students who apply to college with an SAT score of 1500, one from a family in the top 1% and another from a middle-class family.—
Raj Chetty,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
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The General Assembly and Lamont ordered in 2023 the state’s first income tax rate reduction since the mid-1990s, which has returned about $300 per year to middle-class households.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There are things to satirize, trouble, and celebrate about the Black bourgeoisie.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
11 Nov. 2025
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Its leaders sanctioned the mass appropriation of lands from the nobility and their distribution to smaller farmers and the urban bourgeoisie.—
Michael Albertus,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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In the 19th century, the rise of bourgeois society in the Industrial Revolution saw the arrival of the necktie.—
Kristina Kukolja,
NPR,
21 Jan. 2026
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Similar bourgeois mobilizations are happening all over the country.—
Michelle Goldberg,
Mercury News,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Evening people were 79% more likely to have poor overall heart health compared with those in the intermediate group, the study found.—
Dr. Joseph Wendt,
ABC News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Audits have identified poor planning, weak oversight, and insufficient monitoring of quality and cost.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The demonization of Israel leads to physical attacks on Jews — plain and simple.—
Marc Schneier,
New York Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Unlike unsweetened or plain baking chocolate, bittersweet chocolate can contain flavors like vanilla and emulsifiers like soy lecithin.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Working class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/working%20class. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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