middle-class

1 of 2

adjective

mid·​dle-class ˌmi-dᵊl-ˈklas How to pronounce middle-class (audio)
: of or relating to the middle class
especially : characterized by a high material standard of living, sexual morality, and respect for property
middle-classness noun

middle class

2 of 2

noun

: a class occupying a position between the upper class and the lower class
especially : a fluid heterogeneous socioeconomic grouping composed principally of business and professional people, bureaucrats, and some farmers and skilled workers sharing common social characteristics and values

Examples of middle-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
The park is surrounded by small apartment buildings and middle-class amenities: there is a tailor’s shop and a small café, and not far away is a florist, a dog-groomer, a snooker club, and a gym. Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025 So do a lot of people who make a lot of money, and even just upper- to middle-class working people. Alex Distefano, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Noun
But the same industry that helped bring millions of people out of poverty and into the middle class has faced a dramatic downturn over the past three years. Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025 Dee Dwyer/for NPR Food insecurity has been rising since the pandemic, even among the middle class More than 1 in 10 people in the U.S. get federal food aid, and food insecurity ticked up again in 2023, according to the latest report from the Department of Agriculture. Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 17 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for middle-class 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1836, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1745, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of middle-class was in 1745

Dictionary Entries Near middle-class

Cite this Entry

“Middle-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/middle-class. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

middle class

noun
: a social class that occupies a position between the upper class and the lower class and is composed mainly of business and professional people, government officials, farmers, and skilled workers
middle-class adjective

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