second class

adj, noun — 5 senses

second-class

adjalso spelled second-class

1

Of a standard or grade one level below the best.

Neutral or mildly positive connotation

a second-class train ticket, second-class postage, a second-class honours degree

2

Inferior in quality or standing.

Negative connotation

He complained he felt like a second-class citizen, but everyone felt put upon that day.
Using second-class parts for the repair was false economy because they soon broke and had to be fixed again.

Derived terms: second-class citizen, second-class entity, second-class object, second-class value
Related terms: first-class, third-class

second class

noun

1

The second-lowest rank in the Boy Scouts of America, between tenderfoot and first class.

2

A class of travel, inferior to first class.

Allport's decision in 1872 to abolish Second Class on the Midland and effectively upgrade Third Class to the standards of Second, most notably with upholstered seating, sent shockwaves through the Victorian railway.2023 February 8, Conrad Landin, “Bon appetit: 150 years of railway dining”, in RAIL, number 976, page 47:

3

UK A class of postage with delivery times slower than first class.

Derived terms: chief petty officer second class, petty officer second class, ship of the line ensign second class

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — authors: page histories for second-class and second class.