as in poor
belonging to the class of people of middle social or economic rank
She grew up in a middle-class neighborhood, as did most of her classmates.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in working class
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 middle-class
Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
People could go off to work in factories and earn a decent middle-class wage.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 31 May 2025
Veronica Anghel, Foreign Affairs, 21 May 2025
Though the worst of these laws had been reformed by the end of the 18th century and a small Catholic middle class was emerging, they were still barred from political office.
—Joseph Patrick Kelly, The Conversation, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Adjective
Gabbi’s role is restricted to playing the cute, completely in control but emotionally out of control middle-class girl who passionately wants to get married to her love without defying her traditional and authoritarian dad.
—Sweta Kaushal, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025
People could go off to work in factories and earn a decent middle-class wage.
—David Brooks, Mercury News, 31 May 2025
Noun
His base included young voters and the elderly, women, the urban middle class, and dual-nationality Moldovans who viewed Simion’s rhetoric as dangerously aligned with Russian authoritarianism.
—Veronica Anghel, Foreign Affairs, 21 May 2025
Though the worst of these laws had been reformed by the end of the 18th century and a small Catholic middle class was emerging, they were still barred from political office.
—Joseph Patrick Kelly, The Conversation, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-class
Adjective
-
This lack of preparation yields poor communication that worsens difficult situations and burns bridges between companies and fired employees.—
Nicole Tidei,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
-
The risk extends even to children due to increasing rates of childhood obesity and poor dietary habits.20 As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that healthy adults have their lipids checked every four to six years.—
MD Published,
Verywell Health,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
Over 60 years later, the easy-to-wear shoes once associated with Brazil's poorer working class have become the de rigueur summer sandals.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
For 100 years or more, Compton has been home to the aspiring working class, evolving from a white to a Black and now majority Latino community that still maintains a strong Black presence.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
Some transplants want to live in Nice’s Old Town in historic bourgeois buildings — a more expensive location for apartments that can be pricey to maintain.—
Marnie Hunter,
CNN Money,
29 May 2025
-
Stay Here: In Bilbao’s bourgeois enclave of Neguri, Palacio Arriluce is a palace-turned-49-room hotel where Queen Anne and neo-Gothic flourishes evoke the charm of a grand English manor — complete with a croquet lawn overlooking the Biscayan coast.—
Siobhan Reid,
Vogue,
28 May 2025
Noun
-
This creative evolution has expanded papier-mâché’s market appeal, with a new generation of clientele emerging – a group that includes interior designers, a local urban bourgeoisie, and international buyers.—
Fahad Shah,
Christian Science Monitor,
2 Apr. 2025
-
The company was started around the same time as other famous French stores like Le Bon Marché (1852) and La Samaritaine (1870), both of which, like Printemps, catered to the country’s growing bourgeoisie.—
Lanna Apisukh,
New York Times,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The way to peace is simple: get Hamas out and get aid in.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2025
-
In addition to experiencing a surge of sensual energy with greater emphasis on life’s simple pleasures, Venus in Taurus has everything to do with feeling grounded and finding stability in both love and finances.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
Harris ultimately lost the election to Trump, partly because of shrinking support among traditional Democratic constituencies, including minorities and working-class voters.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
-
When Hurricane Irma barreled through Central Florida in 2017, floodwaters rose several feet in the streets of the working-class neighborhood of Orlo Vista and up to the window sills in Levi Williams’ home.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Middle-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-class. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share