working-class

1 of 2

adjective

work·​ing-class ˈwər-kiŋ-ˈklas How to pronounce working-class (audio)
: of, relating to, deriving from, or suitable to the class of wage earners
working-class virtues
a working-class family

working class

2 of 2

noun

: the class of people who work for wages usually at manual labor

Examples of working-class in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
His pride in his craft was not simply a working-class man identifying with his trade; it was rooted in the shrewdness of his own youthful decision-making. Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 14 June 2025 Today’s steakhouses can trace their roots to 17th-century English chophouses that catered to working-class men. Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 14 June 2025
Noun
Mamdani seeks to speak for the city’s working class, yet his voters appear to trend not just younger but whiter, richer, and more male than Cuomo’s. Eric Lach, New Yorker, 13 June 2025 On his first day on the job, Marcelo observes the double standard at play in a system that protects the wealthy, while keeping the working class in their place — the same dynamic by which someone like himself could be snuffed without recrimination. Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for working-class

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1833, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1757, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of working-class was in 1757

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Working-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/working-class. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

working class

noun
: the class of people who work for wages usually in manual labor
working-class adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on working-class

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