1
as in inferior
of little or less value or merit
a playwright who produced only second-class work when he turned his hand to poetry
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in decent
of average to below average quality
it's only a second-class restaurant and not worth the high prices
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of second-class
Not a deal that reduces us to second-class robots, but one that makes work and life more human, even in the presence of omnipresent AI.
7.
—
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
But this analysis ignores the root cause of Puerto Rico’s population loss: economic stagnation driven by second-class political status.
—George Laws Garcia, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2025
Having second-class citizens of color in a country that touted its democracy and model as the best-in-the-world was a real liability during WWII.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 10 Aug. 2025
On the weekend of August 9, the Okmulgee Roy LeBlanc Invitational Rodeo marks its 70th year, the legacy of two dozen Black businessmen, farmers and ranchers frustrated with the second-class treatment accorded to Black rodeo competitors and their fans in the 1950s.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-class
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
But this analysis ignores the root cause of Puerto Rico’s population loss: economic stagnation driven by second-class political status.
—George Laws Garcia, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2025
Having second-class citizens of color in a country that touted its democracy and model as the best-in-the-world was a real liability during WWII.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 10 Aug. 2025
On the weekend of August 9, the Okmulgee Roy LeBlanc Invitational Rodeo marks its 70th year, the legacy of two dozen Black businessmen, farmers and ranchers frustrated with the second-class treatment accorded to Black rodeo competitors and their fans in the 1950s.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for second-class
Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-class
Adjective
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More to Explore By documenting lushly hirsute Japanese officials alongside their beardless counterparts, portraiture preserved a photographic record of colonial subjects’ visibly inferior status.—
H.M.A. Leow,
JSTOR Daily,
13 Sep. 2025
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As with many imitations, attempting to replicate something often results in an inferior copy.—
Soo Kim,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The Padres might come to regret trading Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek, but another trade deadline acquisition, Freddy Fermin, has provided a decent upgrade at a position of glaring weakness.—
Dennis Lin,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
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One is the character of the factory owner, Baek Joo-sang, who has a very dark, hidden side to him, but who is also considered a good boss and decent person by the people around him.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The two had a minor pull-apart but Adam Pearce screamed it down.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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The compound 7-OH is a naturally occurring substance in the kratom plant (Mitragyna speciosa), according to the FDA, but only a minor component, less than 2%, of the alkaloid content in natural kratom leaves.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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That was followed by the Israeli-Gaza war, which to date has claimed the lives of around 64,000 Palestinians, including ordinary Gazans, according to the local health authority.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
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Joan and Luke had a love that was all fireworks and sexy dazzle; after Luke died, Joan married Larry, who was all ordinary-guy solidity.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Not even Chris Hargensen, the organizer of Carrie’s prom-night humiliation, the meanest of all mean girls, could have thought up something so diabolical.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
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The messages, dozens of which were sent every day and attacked the teen’s relationship, looks, intelligence, clothing and behavior, were originally thought to be a mean spirited prank orchestrated by one of their high school classmates.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Since its premiere in 2011, Downton Abbey has bid audiences adieu a few times — first, with its television finale after six seasons; then, over the course of two films, any one of which could have been a satisfactory conclusion for this cadre of characters.—
Mekishana Pierre September 11,
EW.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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While the golf course renovation was not satisfactory to many people, it was needed.—
Steven Franck,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Before the war began, the leading militaries focused on larger, expensive, medium to long-range models.—
Joseph Nepomuceno,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Sep. 2025
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For most traders, the action is concentrated in the short to medium part of the curve.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Never follow your boyfriend to college, especially a seemingly mediocre college, as Belly does with Jeremiah to the fictional Finch.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
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There’s enough blame to fill what’s left of the world’s melting glaciers after this debacle of an opener in which the Dolphins were dominated, 33-8, by a mediocre Colts team and looks further from contention than any time this decade.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Second-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-class. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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