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

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

working-class

2 of 2

adjective

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

Noun

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 This is about working class voters, working class, working class. — ABC News, 28 June 2026

Adjective

And conversely, industrial businesses moved into working-class neighborhoods because the land was cheaper and the zoning sometimes iffy. — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026 Analysts say that Burnham's upbringing and experience as mayor have influenced his politics and could help Labour win back working-class voters who have shifted toward right-wing parties in recent years. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 10 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for working class

Recent Examples of Synonyms for working class

Noun

Populous nations like India and mainland China—both of which house a growing middle class—are increasingly sources of outbound travelers.

— Angelica Ang, Fortune, 15 July 2026
That show was a cultural touchstone as the only other Black middle class family series on at the time besides Coby.

— Tom Tapp, Deadline, 15 July 2026

Definition of middle class

Adjective

Many middle-class families earn too much to qualify for government assistance but still struggle to make ends meet.

— Kaysia Earley, Sun Sentinel, 9 July 2026
London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe When Zac Brettler, a middle-class 19-year-old, fell to his death from a Thames-side apartment in 2019, police initially treated his death as suicide, said The Telegraph.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 9 July 2026

Definition of middle-class

Noun

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
The town next door, Maplewood, built walls and created one-way streets to direct the flow of traffic coming in and out of Newark and Irvington to protect its fading notion bourgeoisie exclusivity.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 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

Prolonged exposure to heat can lead to insufficient or poor sleep, compromising the immune system, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease and diminishing cognitive performance.

— Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
On top of this, subterranean drip systems often clog with mineral deposits, sediment, and algae, which Nad warns may eventually require repairs or replacement of portions of the system, particularly in areas with hard water or poor filtration.

— Kamron Sanders, The Spruce, 13 July 2026

Definition of poor

Browse Nearby Words

working (at or on)

working class

working-class

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

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

Copy Citation

Synonyms of working class

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

raffish

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes