working-class

1 of 2

adjective

work·​ing-class ˈwər-kiŋ-ˈklas How to pronounce working-class (audio)
Synonyms of working-classnext
: 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
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.
Adjective
After working-class contractor Danny (Steven Yeun) nearly plows his vehicle into affluent business owner Amy’s (Ali Wong) SUV, their road rage incident soon escalates into a full-on feud. Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Jan. 2026 There’s a row of five-story buildings off Fifth Avenue in Park Slope that seem to fit the neighborhood standard for prewar, working-class tenements — a central staircase divvying up ten dark railroad apartments. Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 2 Jan. 2026
Noun
This, together with the fragmented working class and weak community roots of Lindsay’s liberalism, left the city unable to fight the wave of neoliberal austerity measures that faced the city. Daniel Wortel-London, Washington Post, 5 Jan. 2026 Zohran Mamdani became mayor of New York City yesterday, taking over one of the most unrelenting jobs in American politics with a promise to transform government on behalf of the city’s striving, struggling working class. Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026 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 6 Jan. 2026.

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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