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.
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as in working class
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of middle-class
Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 13 Mar. 2025
Between September 2023 and September 2024, high-income households increased spending by 12%, while working-class and middle-class households decreased their spending during the same period, according to Moody’s Analytics.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025
TIME, 3 Mar. 2025
The high cost of long term care leads many older Americans, even those in the upper and middle class, to exhaust their savings.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Adjective
Yes, but: The influx of high-end earners, many drawn to Austin during the remote-work revolution early in the pandemic, exacerbated Austin's affordability crisis, pushing middle-class families to suburbs like Buda and Pflugerville.
—Alex Fitzpatrick, Axios, 13 Mar. 2025
Between September 2023 and September 2024, high-income households increased spending by 12%, while working-class and middle-class households decreased their spending during the same period, according to Moody’s Analytics.
—Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
The purpose of the economy is no longer to improve household incomes and expand the middle class, Gunter said.
—TIME, 3 Mar. 2025
The high cost of long term care leads many older Americans, even those in the upper and middle class, to exhaust their savings.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle-class
Adjective
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This can manifest in poor financial behaviors like excessive credit card debt, minimal savings, or impulsive investment decisions.—
Shane Enete,
Forbes,
24 Mar. 2025
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Long hours spent sitting at a desk, driving or looking at screens promote poor posture, where the upper back rounds forward, compressing the rib cage and restricting movement.—
Dana Santas,
CNN,
23 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Portrayed by Brigitte Helm in Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent film Metropolis, Maria is a compassionate worker who becomes a spiritual leader for the oppressed working class.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Mar. 2025
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In an interview with TIME, Golden discussed how the party should speak to swing voters, how to rebuild trust, and how to reposition the working class at the core of the Democratic coalition.—
Charlotte Alter,
TIME,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Pleated skirts and argyle sweater vests, all in neutral shades of navy, taupe and traditional black, completed the bourgeois wardrobe.—
Rhonda Richford,
WWD,
14 Mar. 2025
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Ibsen saw an individual’s self-determination as a remedy for bourgeois hypocrisy, the first salvo of liberation.—
Helen Shaw,
The New Yorker,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
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According to theory, words referred not to the world they were tasked with representing but only to other words in a ruthless system where meaning was elusive, reality an illusion and the self a romantic fiction perpetrated by the capitalist bourgeoisie.—
Emily Eakin,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2025
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Even before the Atlantic City Boardwalk became the iconic scene of the Roaring ‘20s New Jersey bourgeoisie, the Jersey Shore was already increasingly a vacation spot for the wealthy.—
Andrew DePietro,
Forbes,
22 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Pair them with a simple T-shirt to grab a coffee at a cafe.—
Rylee Johnston,
Travel + Leisure,
23 Mar. 2025
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Jenner wore a gray and lightly checked car coat, a simple black knit sweater, straight leg blue jeans, and black ballet flats.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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These were tough, humanistic stories about working-class people and real issues, real problems.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
22 Mar. 2025
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The British series stars burly character actor Steven Graham, who gives an Emmy-worthy performance as a working-class father trying to do better than his parents ever did, but must now face the idea that his 13-year-old son may have killed a fellow student.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Middle-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle-class. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
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