: a social class occupying a position above the middle class and having the highest status in a society
Synonyms
Examples of upper-class in a Sentence
Adjective
upper-class boys who had an entrenched sense of entitlement
Noun
a popular pastime among the upper classes
a member of the upper class
Recent Examples on the Web
JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
In the ‘50s and ‘60s, thousands of middle- and upper-class opponents fled the totalitarian Haitian state, taking planes to New York, Canada, Africa and France.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 June 2024
Jessica Ferri, Washington Post, 25 June 2024
Dickie was treated a certain way by other people of the same upper class.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for upper-class 
Adjective
The Bossa Nova Craze In the early 1960s, bossa nova was hugely popular in the US thanks to its reinvention as a social dance and its connections with upper-class culture.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024
In the ‘50s and ‘60s, thousands of middle- and upper-class opponents fled the totalitarian Haitian state, taking planes to New York, Canada, Africa and France.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 June 2024
Noun
Clare’s descent into madness was closely aligned with the Enclosure Acts, when the untamed nature of England celebrated in his poetry was essentially stolen by the upper class.
—Jessica Ferri, Washington Post, 25 June 2024
Dickie was treated a certain way by other people of the same upper class.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for upper-class
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upper-class.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near upper-class
Cite this Entry
“Upper-class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upper-class. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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