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
Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
These trends are so glaring that the term working class is now used to describe both those without a college degree and the MAGA base.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
John Aguilar, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
Every one felt like a mansion to a working-class family from Glasgow.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for working class
Noun
Although actual opportunities soon contracted and a Melbourne working class rapidly emerged, Victoria was noted for its economic individualism and opportunism and for its material progress and financial speculation, as well as for its imperial loyalty and political pragmatism.
—Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
These trends are so glaring that the term working class is now used to describe both those without a college degree and the MAGA base.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Those backing the city’s rezoning effort countered that without policies designed to diversify Lakewood’s housing inventory, working-class families representing teachers, firefighters and health care workers will never be able to afford a home in the city.
—John Aguilar, Denver Post, 8 Apr. 2026
Every one felt like a mansion to a working-class family from Glasgow.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for working class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for working class
Noun
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The middle class is all that America’s got.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
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The hotel giant Hilton is seeing evidence of improvement at its US middle-market brands, including more mid-week business travel, signs the middle class is starting to participate in a recovery that has been led by high earners, CEO Chris Nassetta said Tuesday at Semafor World Economy.—
Cory Schouten,
semafor.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Richer pensions for middle-class public workers mean leaner services for the poor and higher taxes for everyone else.—
Daniel DiSalvo,
New York Daily News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Yes, a new model was devised that showed how a modern economy could sustain a large middle-class society that shared in its general prosperity and great progress.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The flashbacks to Emma’s adolescence, which Borgli films with some curiosity, are far more engaging than the film’s depictions of the chatty Boston bourgeoisie, which exude self-satisfied certainty.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
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Noasis, around the corner from Base Camp, is for families of tech bourgeoisie.—
Joe Hagan,
Vanity Fair,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Perhaps Fogel, a fervent leftist, chafed at having to celebrate the family, that bourgeois institution.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
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His savior was the experimental documentarian Harun Farocki, famous for provocative works that skewered bourgeois complacency.—
Holden Seidlitz,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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These closures reflect various factors, including poor investment returns, a lack of government support for refinery upgrades and higher carbon and energy costs.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2026
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After McCandless and her council colleagues approved the sweeping tax breaks, King consistently spoke on how its planning process exemplified poor communication from the city, saying that current leaders should have advocated for a better deal for Independence.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Athmile Loose Fit T-shirt as the elevated answer to a plain white tee.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Apr. 2026
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Anyone who doesn’t believe Lamar Jackson bears the pressure to fulfill his greatness with a Super Bowl ring is kidding themselves, NFL history and plain logic.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Working class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/working%20class. Accessed 18 Apr. 2026.
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