as in poor
belonging to the class of people of middle social or economic rank
She grew up in a middle-class neighborhood, as did most of her classmates.
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Dissimilar Words
as in working class
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of middle class
Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
The middle class is over — there is a facade of having a normal life when everyone is one [bad break] away from financial calamity.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
The amount of inner tension that is required to hold together what is the most seemingly normal, regular middle-class existence with a working husband and two jobs and kids and a house and a crazy brother and your elderly mom, and, obviously, the skeleton in the proverbial closet.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for middle class
Adjective
As in his seven novels, Haynes’ characters belong to the Black middle class.
—Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 7 Sep. 2025
The middle class is over — there is a facade of having a normal life when everyone is one [bad break] away from financial calamity.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Noun
The incumbent, Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal), who lives in upper-middle-class comfort with his teen-age son, Eric (Matt Gomez Hidaka)—and without his ex-wife, who left him long ago—is intent on enforcing the state’s mask mandate.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2025
The amount of inner tension that is required to hold together what is the most seemingly normal, regular middle-class existence with a working husband and two jobs and kids and a house and a crazy brother and your elderly mom, and, obviously, the skeleton in the proverbial closet.
—Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for middle class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for middle class
Adjective
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Cutting carbs entirely can raise the risk of cholesterol, kidney stones, poor bone health, gut problems, and even cancer, added Stefanki.—
Caitlin Pagán,
Verywell Health,
11 Sep. 2025
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Before Wednesday’s game, people within the organization were optimistic about Helsley putting his tipping problem and overall poor pitching behind him, pointing to a clean inning Monday.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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My parents were working class people.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Sep. 2025
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Even though my dad was an insurance salesman and had some success, the way I was raised felt to me like a working class environment.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Isabella Cosse writes that Quino was attacked both by the left (for being too bourgeois to offer a real critique of the political repression) and by the right (for being too friendly to subversive groups).—
Daniel Alarcón,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
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Domesticity presented an existential challenge to the Communist war on bourgeois weakness and materialism.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Noun
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This kind of soft satire also puts me in mind of Dorothy West, who excellently sent up a nascent Black bourgeoisie in novels like The Wedding.—
Brittany Allen
July 10,
Literary Hub,
10 July 2025
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Its leaders sanctioned the mass appropriation of lands from the nobility and their distribution to smaller farmers and the urban bourgeoisie.—
Michael Albertus,
Foreign Affairs,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Their simple plan goes awry when one of their relatives wants a posh Korean wedding banquet in the heartfelt romantic comedy.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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The inspiration The Copleys wanted a low-water garden that would be simple to care for.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This could be especially true for Black, Latino, immigrant and working-class employees who already face disproportionate workplace surveillance and bias.—
James Felton Keith,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Her policy lens is rooted in her own experience growing up in a working-class family and juggling multiple jobs to pay the bills.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Middle class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/middle%20class. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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