middle-class
[ mid-l-klas, -klahs ]
/ ˈmɪd lˈklæs, -ˈklɑs /
adjective
of, relating to, or characteristic of the middle class; bourgeois: middle-class taste; middle-class morality.
Origin of middle-class
First recorded in 1890–95
OTHER WORDS FROM middle-class
mid·dle-class·ness, nounWords nearby middle-class
Definition for middle-class (2 of 2)
middle class
noun
a class of people intermediate between the classes of higher and lower social rank or standing; the social, economic, cultural class, having approximately average status, income, education, tastes, and the like.
the class traditionally intermediate between the aristocratic class and the laboring class.
an intermediate class.
Origin of middle class
First recorded in 1760–70
Example sentences from the Web for middle-class
British Dictionary definitions for middle-class
middle class
noun
Also called: bourgeoisie
a social stratum that is not clearly defined but is positioned between the lower and upper classes. It consists of businessmen, professional people, etc, along with their families, and is marked by bourgeois values
Compare lower class, upper class, working class
adjective middle-class
of, relating to, or characteristic of the middle class
Cultural definitions for middle-class
middle class
A social and economic class composed of those more prosperous than the poor, or lower class, and less wealthy than the upper class. Middle class is sometimes loosely used to refer to the bourgeoisie. In the United States and other industrial countries, the term is often applied to white-collar, as opposed to blue-collar, workers.
notes for middle class
Values commonly associated with the middle class include a desire for social respectability and material wealth and an emphasis on the family and education.