WORKING CLASS Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

working class 1 of 2

noun

Definition of working class

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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Dissimilar Words

working-class

2 of 2

adjective

as in middle-class

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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of working class

Noun

Outreach to the Latino working class should stress economic dignity, not socialist ideology. — León Krauze, Washington Post, 7 July 2026 Sade’s debut is a pristine work of professional studio craft just like all their subsequent releases, but Diamond Life was made by a working class band that had spent years gigging in the clubs of London. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 30 June 2026

Adjective

Yamal was raised in Rocafonda, a working-class area of Mataro, just up the coast from Barcelona. — Jack Lang, New York Times, 18 July 2026 A man of the people, a working-class hero, a diamond in the rough unearthed by political operatives riding the high of Mamdani’s rise—the narrative, in and of itself, was a winning strategy. — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for working class

Recent Examples of Synonyms for working class

Noun

Conceived as an anti-poverty program, Social Security today pays out most of its benefits not to the poor but to the middle class and the rich.

— Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
The plot deals relatively little with the professional criminal classes, but rather with the tensions—emotional, psychological and fundamental of the upper middle class.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026

Definition of middle class

Adjective

The protesters were largely middle- and lower-middle-class youth and their parents, a demographic that has traditionally formed an important pillar of BJP support, according to Verma.

— Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
Other campaign priorities include supporting policies that encourage entrepreneurship and tax policies that provide relief to working and middle-class families.

— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026

Definition of middle-class

Noun

The traditional Marxist framework may explain why Flaubert, the conflicted son of a successful provincial surgeon, wrote naturalistic novels mocking the grandiose aspirations of the rural bourgeoisie, Sartre conceded.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 July 2026
For a long time, the lifestyles and foibles of the modest bourgeoisie were a mainstay of art-house cinema, with urbane, upscale audiences happy to turn out to see versions of their own lives depicted on the screen.

— Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026

Definition of bourgeoisie

Adjective

In sharp contrast to the first-generation members of the Frankfurt School, Habermas came from a petit-bourgeois, culturally conservative Protestant milieu, his family name going back to sixteenth-century Thuringian cobblers.

— Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
Their attempts to destroy the bourgeois family were, like the efforts of Suzanna’s mother and grandmother, ambivalent and half-hearted.

— Julius Taranto, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026

Definition of bourgeois

Adjective

Headline figures such as tasks completed, queries handled or hours saved can look impressive while concealing errors, rework, poor customer outcomes and escalating operating expenses.

— Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Habits like poor sleep, heavy drinking and smoking often make things worse, and work pressure, financial strain and caring for aging parents can compound the effects.

— Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 27 July 2026

Definition of poor

Adjective

However, this applies strictly to plain coffee, not sugary, high-calorie specialty drinks or concentrated caffeine products.

— Robert Glatter, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
In addition to believing, plain and simple, that Shamea crossed the line with her Miss Diane tea, the newbies also seem frustrated by how much the feud is interfering with the group dynamic and the show’s levity.

— Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 20 July 2026

Definition of plain

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working (at or on)

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Style

“Working class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/working%20class. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of working class

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

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Cite this Entry

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