working class 1 of 2

noun

Definition of working classnext
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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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
Matsui has leaned on her experience and cited a record of delivering resources to the region, while Vang has called for new leadership and emphasized working class families. — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026 Seeking funding to assist working class poor & middle class floridians to help pay bills. — Dan Sweeney, Sun Sentinel, 22 Sep. 2026
Adjective
If the Venice runner-up is able to find a foothold in the Best Picture race, that’ll be a boon for Jeon, who gives the standout performance as a working-class woman who gets a glimpse at how the other half lives. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026 Furthermore, placing this burden on co-op boards threatens the financial stability of entire building communities, risking maintenance fee hikes for working-class residents. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for working class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for working class
  1. middle class
  2. middle-class
  3. bourgeoisie
  4. bourgeois
  5. poor
  6. plain
Noun
  • Brodeur and Lowndes agree that housing affordability is also tied to supply, and that more homes available to the middle class need to be constructed.
    — Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
  • By 2010, the Latino population in Maricopa County had diversified to include a large Spanish-speaking middle class.
    — Michael Kiefer, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of middle class
Adjective
  • And judging by the amount of controversy that’s already been stirred up, Sacha Baron Cohen’s iconic character of a middle-class white Brit appropriating hip-hop and Jamaican mannerisms still has the ability to rile people.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The rigid enforcement of the NBA introduced another era of expensive hardbacks, giving a new lease of life to the middle-class circulating libraries.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of middle-class
Noun
  • Wilde stars with and directs a stellar trio — Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton — in an anxiety-inducing drama of a dinner party between a pair of extremely differing yet similarly bourgeoisie couples.
    — Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
  • When the arcade first opened, Europe was navigating industrialization, the rise of the urban bourgeoisie, and the emergence of modern ready-to-wear fashion.
    — Eleonora Giordani, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of bourgeoisie
Adjective
  • The homes where poor people lived have invariably vanished, whether in Paris or in the provinces, whereas bourgeois homes are still standing.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Doctrinaire critics accused her of being bourgeois, formalist, decadent.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of bourgeois
Adjective
  • Disease that has spread to those organs is associated with poorer treatment outcomes.
    — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
  • They were frustrated with teacher shortages and poor conditions at schools, including overcrowded classrooms and dilapidated buildings.
    — James Cirrone , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of poor
Adjective
  • The best, the least mediocre, unfortunately, is Tadao Ando, the better of whose work derives from Kahn, the plain modular rectangles made of concrete framed by verticals and, less clear even in Kahn, the geometric cuts and sections.
    — Julian Rose, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Here is a plain-language guide to what the tiny beads do, where the practice came from and what the research shows.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of plain

Browse Nearby Words

working (at or on)
working class
working-class
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Cite this Entry

“Working class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/working%20class. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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