low·er-class
ˌlō-ər-ˈklas 
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of the lower class
2
: being an inferior or low-ranking specimen of its kind
a lower-class theater
: a social class occupying a position below the middle class and having the lowest status in a society
Synonyms
Examples of lower-class in a Sentence
Adjective
they were finally earning enough to get out of the lower-class tax bracket
Noun
a member of the lower class
Recent Examples on the Web
Harrison Pierce, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2024
The documentary is a portrait of the high pressure world of high-level amateur athletics, and of the struggle of adolescence in the lower class.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 July 2024
Friedman shows how whereas the middle class and the elite have a stake in the economy, the lower classes—and especially the unemployed—are excluded from the formal economy altogether.
—Sisonke Msimang, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2021
The significance of the Paris Olympics mascot 01:03 Former French King Louis XVI had ordered revolutionaries to be arrested and housed as political prisoners at the Bastille as the starving lower class sought equality and freedom during the country's economic crisis.
—NBC News, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for lower-class 
Noun
According to the Department of Transportation (DOT), if a consumer has been involuntarily moved to a lower class of service, they are owed the difference in fare.
—Harrison Pierce, Travel + Leisure, 2 Aug. 2024
The documentary is a portrait of the high pressure world of high-level amateur athletics, and of the struggle of adolescence in the lower class.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 July 2024
Friedman shows how whereas the middle class and the elite have a stake in the economy, the lower classes—and especially the unemployed—are excluded from the formal economy altogether.
—Sisonke Msimang, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2021
The significance of the Paris Olympics mascot 01:03 Former French King Louis XVI had ordered revolutionaries to be arrested and housed as political prisoners at the Bastille as the starving lower class sought equality and freedom during the country's economic crisis.
—NBC News, 25 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for lower-class
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lower-class.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lower-class
Cite this Entry
“Lower-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lower-class. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
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