steerage

noun

steer·​age ˈstir-ij 

1

: the act or practice of steering

broadly : direction

2

[from its originally being located near the rudder] : a section of inferior accommodations in a passenger ship for passengers paying the lowest fares

Examples of steerage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Newsom finds himself in political steerage with Kamala Harris’ ascendancy to the Democratic Party’s throne. —Tom Philp, The Mercury News, 4 Sep. 2024

The panel was particularly impressed with Gilford’s humane storytelling, graceful steerage, engagingly down-to-earth tone, and life-embracing characters. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 2 July 2024

There were five dozen other passengers, all but two in steerage, and the crossing, in miserable weather, took almost two months. —David Owen, The New Yorker, 2 Jan. 2024

Her dad was a blacksmith, and her mom arrived in the U.S. in the steerage section of a steamship. —Korin Miller, Women's Health, 21 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

steerage

noun

steer·​age ˈsti(ə)r-ij 

1

: the act or practice of steering

also : direction sense 1

2

: a section in a passenger ship for passengers paying the lowest fares