Definition

Noun: The social class comprising individuals and families with a moderate level of income, education, and occupational status, situated between the working class and the upper class. This group is often characterized by values such as financial security, home ownership, and investment in education.

Usage

The term "middle class" is used to describe a socioeconomic group and its associated attributes, lifestyles, and economic power. - It functions as a countable noun when referring to the group as a collective entity (e.g., the middle class). - It can be used attributively as a compound adjective before another noun (e.g., middle-class values).

Examples

• As a Noun:
  • A strong middle class is vital for a healthy economy.
  • Policies aimed at helping the middle class were a key part of the political platform.
• As an Attributive Adjective:
  • They live in a middle-class neighborhood.
  • The film explores middle-class anxieties about social status.

Advanced Usage

• "the shrinking middle class": A phrase used in economic and sociological discussions to describe the perceived decline in the size or economic stability of this social group.
  • Many economists are concerned about the shrinking middle class.
• "professional middle class": A subset often distinguished by white-collar occupations requiring higher education.
  • The professional middle class has been a driving force in the tech industry.

Variants and Related Words

• Middle-class (adjective): Pertaining to or characteristic of the middle class.
  • His middle-class upbringing emphasized hard work and education.
• Bourgeoisie (noun): A term, often used in Marxist theory, roughly equivalent to the capitalist middle class.
  • The revolution was led against the ruling bourgeoisie.

Synonyms

• Bourgeoisie (in certain contexts)
• White-collar workers (refers to a common occupational characteristic)
• The mainstream (in a cultural or economic sense)

Antonyms

• Working class (or lower class)
• Upper class (or aristocracy)
• Proletariat (in Marxist theory)

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Middle-class morality": Refers to a set of conventional social values often associated with this class, such as propriety and material stability.
  • The novel is a critique of Victorian middle-class morality.
• "To be solidly middle class": To firmly belong to or represent the middle class.
  • With their combined incomes, they are solidly middle class.

Noun

1. the social class between the lower and upper classes