middle-class
/ˌmɪd.əlˈklɑːs/ (bre, ipa) · [mˈɪdəlklˈæs] /ˌmɪd.əlˈklæs/ (ame, ipa) · [mˈɪdəlklˈæs] /ˌmi-dᵊl-ˈklas/ (ame, mw) · /ˌmɪdl ˈklɑːs/ (bre, ipa) · [mˈɪdəlklˈæs] /ˌmɪdl ˈklæs/ (ame, ipa)
middle-class — adjective
1. belonging to the social group between wealthy people and poorer groups, usually
belonging to the social group between wealthy people and poorer groups, usually with steady pay and a fairly comfortable life.
Isabela lives in a middle-class suburb with parks, clinics, and chain stores.
collocation: middle-class suburb
The plan offered tax relief to middle-class families facing higher food prices.
policy context: middle-class families
Minh described the town as middle-class after new offices opened near the station.
Reporters interviewed middle-class voters outside the school gym before the election.
- middle-income
focuses on money level rather than wider social background or lifestyle
- bourgeois
more formal or critical, especially in political discussion
- working-class
describes people in a lower-paid wage-earning social group
- upper-class
describes the wealthiest and highest-status part of society
文法句型
middle-class + noun
be + middle-class
用法筆記
Use a hyphen when it comes before a noun or after be. This broader sense is common in news about tax, housing, schools, and voting.
常見錯誤
2. connected with the part of the middle class made up mainly of educated professio
connected with the part of the middle class made up mainly of educated professionals and business people.
Anna came from a middle-class family of teachers, dentists, and civil servants.
family background: middle-class family
Bilal's middle-class parents expected every child to finish university.
collocation: middle-class parents
The play follows a middle-class couple comparing school fees and piano lessons.
Mayumi wrote about middle-class manners at dinner parties and charity events.
- professional
describes job type only and does not itself signal social class
- white-collar
focuses on office and salaried work rather than broader upbringing
- working-class
points to wage-based or manual-job backgrounds rather than professional households
文法句型
middle-class + noun
be + middle-class
用法筆記
Narrower than sense 1. It often describes family background, schooling, manners, and expectations linked to educated professional households.
middle-class — noun
1. people in the social layer between the wealthy and poorer groups, usually with r
people in the social layer between the wealthy and poorer groups, usually with regular incomes and some financial security.
Rising rent has made the middle class feel less secure than before.
the middle class + singular group meaning
During the debate, Salma promised tax cuts for the middle class.
pattern: tax cuts for the middle class
After the export boom, thousands of factory families entered the middle class.
The museum exhibit showed how the middle class changed city shopping habits.
- middle-income group
focuses on earnings and sounds more statistical than social
- middle strata
more formal and often used in sociology or history
- upper class
the layer above it in wealth and social status
- working class
the layer more closely tied to wage labour and lower incomes
文法句型
the middle class + singular verb
enter the middle class
用法筆記
Usually written without a hyphen when it is a noun. It commonly appears after the, or after verbs like enter, join, and leave.
常見錯誤
2. the part of the middle class made up mainly of educated professionals and busine
the part of the middle class made up mainly of educated professionals and business people.
In the capital, the middle class includes engineers, pharmacists, and bank managers.
definition pattern: includes professions
Aiko says the middle class in her district is mostly doctors and accountants.
Much of the middle class now works in offices instead of workshops.
The article defines the middle class as professionals with steady salaries.
- professional class
stresses education and occupation, often in social analysis
- white-collar group
focuses more on office work than on wider class identity
- working class
describes households tied more closely to manual or wage-based jobs
文法句型
the middle class + includes [profession]
the middle class + singular verb
用法筆記
Narrower than sense 1. Use this sense when you mean salaried professionals, managers, and small business owners rather than the whole social layer.