middle class meaning: definition, quotations

middle class

nounalso spelled middle-class

A social and economic class lying above the working class and below the upper class.

All this has led to an explosion of protest across China, including among a middle class that has discovered nimbyism.2013 August 10, “Can China clean up fast enough?”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848, archived from the original on 08 Aug 2013:

In plural The groups in society composed of professionals, semi-professionals, and lower to middle managerial level workers.

Derived terms: lower middle class, upper middle class
Related terms: middle-class, bourgeoisie, bourgie, white-collar, yuppie, yuppies

middle-class

adj

Occupying a position between the working class and the upper class.

Characteristic of the middle class(es); reflective of that class's values and aspirations. Commonly associated with a desire for social respectability and an emphasis on family values and education.

Derived terms: middle-classness
Related terms: middle class