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
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Noun
If a public school program is dominating a sport at a lower class, there’s no reason they should not be moved up via the success factor. Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025 The play is also cut so that, while the lower class denizens of this downtrodden village are mentioned constantly, they’re not really seen, heightening the interactions among the town’s swindling leaders and their swindling faux-inspector guest. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 26 Mar. 2025 The middle and lower classes are falling further behind. Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025 But others who fought for higher pay rates said tipped wages create a lower class of workers. Joe Guillen, Axios, 26 Feb. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Lower-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lower-class. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

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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