middle-class

1 of 2

adjective

mid·​dle-class ˌmi-dᵊl-ˈklas 

: of or relating to the middle class

especially : characterized by a high material standard of living, sexual morality, and respect for property

middle-classness

ˌmi-dᵊl-ˈklas-nəs 

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

Adjective

Paul Thornton: Even in L.A. County’s solidly middle-class towns, home prices are soaring out of reach. —Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024

Unlike some of her peers, Headland knows how to write striving middle-class characters born of suburban discontent rather than privilege. —Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024

Noun

The middle class built America, and unions built the middle class. —Christian Datoc, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 16 Dec. 2024

Unions, instrumental in building the mid-20th-century middle class, continue to benefit society, with one in nine U.S. workers unionized. —Solange Charas, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1836, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1745, in the meaning defined above

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