up·per-class
ˌə-pər-ˈklas 
-ˈkläs
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the highest social class in a society
: a social class occupying a position above the middle class and having the highest status in a society
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
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 3 Apr. 2026
Louis, then 4, still often sported shorts at outings, as upper-class British boys are known to wear shorts in their younger years.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
Vogue, 27 Mar. 2026
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the coastal city of Mar del Plata thrived as a summer playground for Argentina’s upper class.
—Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upper-class
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Adjective
Getting cleared of a gruesome crime has boosted his social cache in his upper-class neighborhood of Westmont Village, a fictional New York suburb.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 3 Apr. 2026
Louis, then 4, still often sported shorts at outings, as upper-class British boys are known to wear shorts in their younger years.
—Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
Noun
But, by the beginning of the Gilded Age in America in the 1870s, the sartorial code became the upper class’s go-to for the opera, debutante balls, and any of the fancy-dress parties thrown by socialites of the day.
—Vogue, 27 Mar. 2026
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the coastal city of Mar del Plata thrived as a summer playground for Argentina’s upper class.
—Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upper-class
Cite this Entry
“Upper-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upper-class. Accessed 12 Apr. 2026.
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