: a social class occupying a position above the middle class and having the highest status in a society
Synonyms
Examples of upper-class in a Sentence
Adjective
upper-class boys who had an entrenched sense of entitlement
Noun
a popular pastime among the upper classes
a member of the upper class
Recent Examples on the Web
Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
Our Founding Fathers probably wore makeup at some point—in eighteenth-century America, upper-class men and women both did.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2024
Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
And although wealthier people in most societies tend to depend far less on extended family bonds, Latin America’s middle and upper classes have sustained durable kinship networks.
—Paul Hirschfield, Foreign Affairs, 29 July 2022
See all Example Sentences for upper-class 
Adjective
Michael works as a fixer at a prestigious Manhattan law firm, which means that his salary hinges on fulfilling the less glamorous — and occasionally less lawful — needs of the firm’s upper-class clientele.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
Our Founding Fathers probably wore makeup at some point—in eighteenth-century America, upper-class men and women both did.
—Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2024
Noun
In Martel’s eyes, the Argentinian upper classes are sinking in their own complacency like quicksand.
—Indiewire Staff, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2024
And although wealthier people in most societies tend to depend far less on extended family bonds, Latin America’s middle and upper classes have sustained durable kinship networks.
—Paul Hirschfield, Foreign Affairs, 29 July 2022
See all Example Sentences for upper-class
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upper-class.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near upper-class
Cite this Entry
“Upper-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upper-class. Accessed 24 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share