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
Disease killed half of the infants born in London during the first half of the 18th century, as the lower classes of the country suffered terrible poverty. Bob Blaisdell, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Dec. 2024 As in Yuzna’s 1989 film about Beverly Hills elites who literally suck the life out of the lower class, The Substance satirizes the disgusting lengths the wealthy will go in order to stay young and beautiful. Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2024 His recent video about life as a member of the lower class in Victorian London appears to have struck a particular chord. Melissa Fleur Afshar, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024 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 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 26 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

lower-class

adjective
low·​er-class
-ˈklas
: of, relating to, or being the social class ranking below the middle class
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