as in middle class
the class of people who earn money by doing usually physical work and who are not rich or powerful
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in middle-class
Related Words
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
ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026
For working class voters with inflexible work schedules, limited transportation and scarce childcare, adding a document requirement is not a neutral inconvenience.
—Kica Matos, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026
Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
For working-class families living paycheck-to-paycheck, even a small hospital stay can mean falling behind.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for working class
Noun
A lot of these candidates are coming from working class backgrounds able to appeal to people who are making $100,000, trying to hold a job and saying, does anybody care about me?
—ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026
For working class voters with inflexible work schedules, limited transportation and scarce childcare, adding a document requirement is not a neutral inconvenience.
—Kica Matos, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
But owning his own island also represented Epstein’s entrée into a new tier of elite wealth – a powerful symbol for the former schoolteacher who grew up in a working-class Brooklyn family.
—Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 13 Mar. 2026
For working-class families living paycheck-to-paycheck, even a small hospital stay can mean falling behind.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for working class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for working class
Noun
-
Some Democratic strategists think that running on tax cuts for the middle class could help.—
Zach Halaschak,
The Washington Examiner,
18 Mar. 2026
-
But the middle class has grown.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Many are middle-class families already stretched thin.—
Steven Fulop,
New York Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The courtyard apartment development was constructed near the horse track at Washington Park, with 52 apartments geared toward middle-class residents, according to Preservation Chicago.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Wake-Robin gets its name from a deep purple wildflower native to the Mid-Atlantic, which, from Richmond, Virginia, to Philadelphia, was the hub of the Black bourgeoisie.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Woodcutters sets forth the musings of a narrator sitting in an armchair at a dinner party who excoriates the literary awards establishments of his native land (and by extension all lands that are host to a robust bourgeoisie).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Both of his arms are in the sleeves, and his bourgeois father is kneeling on the floor, taking the shirt in order to conserve it, perhaps saving it from being soiled.—
Theo Belci,
Artforum,
27 Feb. 2026
-
In a more simplistic story, Derya and Aziz’s efforts to find a good private school for their daughter would come off as a hopeless bourgeois indulgence.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
While youth suicide remains a leading cause of death, the youth suicide rate is down in Colorado, and the number of kids reporting poor mental health also dropped from 23% in 2023 to 14% in 2025.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The launch came amid overcast skies and a weather forecast that was reduced to just a 75% chance for good conditions, according to Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron, which also noted a moderate risk for poor conditions at the booster landing site.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
If a conversation thread gets confusing, rewrite the key points in plain language.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Mar. 2026
-
To quench your thirst, sip water or plain fizzy water.—
Cory Martin,
Verywell Health,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Working class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/working%20class. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
