middle-class

1 of 2

adjective

mid·​dle-class ˌmi-dᵊl-ˈklas How to pronounce middle-class (audio)
: of or relating to the middle class
especially : characterized by a high material standard of living, sexual morality, and respect for property
middle-classness noun

middle class

2 of 2

noun

: a class occupying a position between the upper class and the lower class
especially : a fluid heterogeneous socioeconomic grouping composed principally of business and professional people, bureaucrats, and some farmers and skilled workers sharing common social characteristics and values

Examples of middle-class in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
The state Capitol is witnessing the collision of two powerful opposing forces, with checks worth hundreds of millions of dollars to poor and middle-class families hanging in the balance. Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2025 The goal is not to take black children out of the black community and expose them to white middle-class values; the goal is to build and strengthen the black community. Justin Driver, The Atlantic, 15 Mar. 2025
Noun
Therefore, the long-term solution is to invest into the working and middle classes, and the younger generations, by providing opportunities for upskilling and more. Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025 The cuts will fall especially hard on the region’s Black residents, who have long relied on federal employment as a ladder to the middle class. Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for middle-class

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1836, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1745, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of middle-class was in 1745

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Middle-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/middle-class. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

middle class

noun
: a social class that occupies a position between the upper class and the lower class and is composed mainly of business and professional people, government officials, farmers, and skilled workers
middle-class adjective

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