Definition

Adjective: - Occupying the upper part of the middle socioeconomic range in a society. This group typically has high educational attainment, professional or managerial occupations, and a comfortable standard of living, but is not considered part of the wealthiest elite.

Usage

The adjective upper-middle-class is used to describe people, families, households, neighborhoods, lifestyles, values, or incomes that belong to this specific social stratum. It is typically hyphenated when used as a compound adjective before a noun.

Examples

• They live in an upper-middle-class suburb with excellent schools.
• Her parents had upper-middle-class professions; her father was a lawyer and her mother a university professor.
• The study focused on the consumer habits of upper-middle-class families.
• Their income level is solidly upper-middle-class.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used in sociological and economic analyses to discuss trends, mobility, and cultural capital.
• It can sometimes carry connotations related to social attitudes, educational priorities, and consumption patterns distinct from other classes.

Variants and Related Words

• Upper middle class (noun phrase): The social group itself.
  • Members of the upper middle class often prioritize higher education.
• Middle-class (adjective): Describing the broader middle socioeconomic range.
• Professional-managerial class (noun phrase): A related term often overlapping with the upper middle class.

Synonyms

• Affluent (in some contexts, though "affluent" can be broader)
• Well-to-do
• Professional class (as a group)

Antonyms

• Working-class
• Lower-class
• Poverty-stricken

Notes

• "Upper-middle-class" is a specific compound adjective. The related noun phrase is "upper middle class" (often without hyphens).
• Per the critical instruction, this entry explains only the hyphenated adjective form upper-middle-class. The noun phrase "upper middle class" and other compounds are listed separately under 'Variants and Related Words'.

Adjective

1. occupying the upper part of the middle socioeconomic range in a society