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
a typical middle-class family
traditional middle-class values
: 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
Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 22 Dec. 2025
Once, every middle-class home had a piano and a dictionary.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Mark Glende, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025
In England and France, with the rise of pamphlets and papers that spoke expressly to a middle class audience, criticism became a decent way to earn a living for anyone who knew a bit about painting and could string a few words together.
—Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
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Adjective
As premiums and out-of-pocket costs have climbed for Californians earning working-class and middle-class pay, more residents face unstable coverage, rely on federal subsidies that are frequently subject to political battles in Washington or go uninsured altogether.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 22 Dec. 2025
Once, every middle-class home had a piano and a dictionary.
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Noun
Cheap, shiny, unapologetically messy — the glitter of the lower middle class.
—Mark Glende, Twin Cities, 24 Dec. 2025
In England and France, with the rise of pamphlets and papers that spoke expressly to a middle class audience, criticism became a decent way to earn a living for anyone who knew a bit about painting and could string a few words together.
—Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Cite this Entry
“Middle-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/middle-class. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
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