lower-class

1 of 2

adjective

low·​er-class ˌlō-ər-ˈklas How to pronounce lower-class (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the lower class
2
: being an inferior or low-ranking specimen of its kind
a lower-class theater

lower class

2 of 2

noun

: a social class occupying a position below the middle class and having the lowest status in a society

Examples of lower-class in a Sentence

Adjective they were finally earning enough to get out of the lower-class tax bracket Noun a member of the lower class
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
The Iraq Petroleum Company helped build a middle class in the city but neglected the mostly Kurdish lower class. John Waterbury, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2020 The circulation of this paper is not among the lower classes: on the contrary, its principal clientele is among the more intelligent people. The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 30 Oct. 2024 At $1 per month ($12 per year) this ranges from a mere 0.08% for the lower class to an infinitesimal 0.00048% for the upper class. Robert G. Eccles, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024 Coward also pokes fun at the power struggle between the upper and lower classes as Julia tries and fails to keep the help, the officious maid Saunders (a hilarious turn by Cindy Goldfield), in her place. Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lower-class 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1637, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lower-class was in 1637

Dictionary Entries Near lower-class

Lower Chinook

lower-class

lower class

Cite this Entry

“Lower-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lower-class. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

lower-class

adjective
low·​er-class
-ˈklas
: of, relating to, or being the social class ranking below the middle class
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!