mid·dle-class
ˌmi-dᵊl-ˈklas 
: of or relating to the middle class
especially
: characterized by a high material standard of living, sexual morality, and respect for property
a typical middle-class family
traditional middle-class values
: 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
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
4 July 2026
Due to postwar prosperity and changes in pool-construction technology, private pools were no longer considered luxuries but within reach of the burgeoning middle-class.
—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
3 July 2026
Kendall Deas,
The Conversation,
6 July 2026
So, basically, the larger the middle class, the more people there are who have a high level of well-being, and the smaller the middle class, the lower the well-being in the average population.
—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
6 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
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Adjective
McGinley grew up in a middle-class Irish Catholic family in northern New Jersey, as the youngest of eight children.
—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
4 July 2026
Due to postwar prosperity and changes in pool-construction technology, private pools were no longer considered luxuries but within reach of the burgeoning middle-class.
—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
3 July 2026
Noun
Vouchers benefit more students from middle class families – students with a prior record of achievement and motivation to achieve academic success.
—
Kendall Deas,
The Conversation,
6 July 2026
So, basically, the larger the middle class, the more people there are who have a high level of well-being, and the smaller the middle class, the lower the well-being in the average population.
—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
6 July 2026
See All Example Sentences for middle-class
Cite this Entry
“Middle-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/middle-class. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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